UAE: Cupid strikes for Ali Khalfan

Gulf News Article
Abdul Rahman/Gulf News
Winner Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri in action during the National Day Cup at Al Wathba Endurance Village in Abu Dhabi.
By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter
Published: December 16, 2007, 01:03

Abu Dhabi: Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri partnered the seven-year-old Cupid to his third National Day Cup triumph and in the process rewrote the record books with the fastest time in a 120-km endurance ride.

The Nakheel-sponsored three-star FEI endurance ride at the Emirates International Endurance Village attracted almost all the top horses in the country and, after a fascinating contest over five stages and 120km, Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri, on Cupid, finished ahead of UAE champion Yousef Ahmad Al Beloushi on Estaban with Pan Arab Games double gold medallist Shaikh Mayed Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, on Omani Iman, in third place.

The winning time of 4hrs 32mins 46secs at an average of 26.40 km/h broke the earlier record held by Yousef Ahmad when he clocked 4: 39.10 on Jibbah Enog during the Damas Championship held at this very venue on January 20.

Ali Khalfan, who had finished second twice behind Yousef this season, finally struck at the prestigious National Day Cup, winning it for the third time for Al Wathba Stables.

Thani Mohammad Al Muhairi and Hassan Bin Ali, two other winners this season, finished fourth and fifth respectively - a perfect ending to one of the strongest-ever fields of riders and horses among the 112 pairs who started.

With Ali Khalfan on Cupid, the best bet from Al Wathba Stables, Yousef Ahmad on Esteban, winner of last year's National Day Cup ride and the Bab Al Shams ride earlier this season, Shaikh Mayed on Omani Iman, winner of the Pan Arab gold medal and Hassan Bin Ali on Blackheath Kira, winner of this season's opening ride, along with some of the top riders and runners in the UAE, yesterday's contest witnessed one of the fastest ever final loops too.

Ali Khalfan led Yousef Ahmad by about 31 seconds as they set out on the final loop of 16 kms.

Twice earlier it was Yousef Ahmad who edged out Ali Khalfan to second place but yesterday the Al Wathba rider gained sweet revenge on the Al Reef champion.

Ali Khalfan on Cupid recorded a speed of 35.78 km/h on the final loop and though Yousef on Estaban did a faster loop averaging 35.98, the small lead came in handy in giving the bearded Al Wathba rider his third National Day Cup victory.

Ahmad Al Jaziri of Nakheel, Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi of ADEC and Lara Sawaya of Tasweeq gave away the trophies and also picked Afghan national Gafour Jan as winner of the Kia car in the raffle for spectators.

"I just wanted a lead of about a minute going into the final loop and the 31 seconds helped. It made the others go faster to try and catch me while I waited and then made my final run," said the experienced Ali Khalfan.

Chile : Las Brisas Santo Domingo

Posted by Endurance.Net
December 15, 2007

photo: RICARDO ARCAYA on DON PANCHO winning the 160km event


Las Brisas Santo Domingo Endurance Ride, CEI**/*** was held near the Pacific coast of Chile on December 7. Over 120 horses entered the ride in all of the divisions. The event was also FEI sanctioned, and was attended by a contingent of Malaysian riders seeking to qualify riders and horses for the 2008 World Endurance Championship.

Malaysian rider Dato Kamaruddin finished the 160km distance in second place, and his horse Navidad earned the Best Condition award.

More: results and Endurance.Net coverage

Bahrain: Endurance race offers BD30,700 prize money

Bahrain Gulf Daily News
Saturday, December 15

A TOTAL prize-money of BD30,700 is up for grabs in today's 120-kilometre National Day Endurance Horseride Championship which begins at 6am at the Bahrain International Endurance Village premises in Sakhir.

The top 15 riders in the junior and senior races will receive cash prizes. The winner of the junior race will get BD3,000, runner-up BD2,000, third-placed rider BD1,500 fourth-placed BD1,200 and the fifth placed BD1,000.

In correspondent figures in the senior races are BD4,000, BD3,000, BD2,500, BD2,000, BD1,500 while the sixth placed rider will receive BD1,000.

Sponsored

Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa will lead riders from Bahrain and Jordan in this event being sponsored by Batelco.

Also taking part is Breef first vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Both Shaikh Nasser and Shaikh Khalid will take part in the senior race which will see a total of 48 riders in the fray while 23 entrants are confirmed for the junior race.

Royal Jordanian Equestrian Federation president Princess Alia bint Al Hussain has arrived specially for this event.

The race's judging and technical committee will be headed by Breef general secretary Ghalib Al Alawi, and includes Abdulsamad Al Busta, Haider Al Zo'bi and Ali Ghuloom.

Strong field likely for National Day Cup - Dec 12 2007

Gulfnews.com - Full story By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter
Published: December 12, 2007, 23:32

Abu Dhabi: The starting line-up for Saturday's Nakheel-sponsored National Day Cup endurance ride could end up as one of the largest ever for an endurance ride with over 150 riders having provisionally entered.

Among those who have entered is Shaikh Mayed Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the winner of the individual as well as team gold at last month's Pan Arab Games in Cairo.

Final list

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club said, "As of now we have over 150 entries and this could increase. However the final list of starters will only be known after the pre-ride veterinary check. But we do expect one of the largest fields of riders for this event which is now an important one in the UAE season."

The FEI three-star ride, which will be held at the Emirates International Endurance Village (EIEV) in Al Wathba in Abu Dhabi, will be contested over five stages of 32kms, 30kms, 24kms, 18kms and 16kms.

Ahmad Al Jaziri, Nakheel's Senior Manager, Events & Sponsorship, said Nakheel was getting involved for the third time with an endurance ride at the Emirates International Endurance Village.

"This is the second time we are supporting the National Day Cup and this is a matter of pride for us. The response to the event has been terrific and we are glad to be involved with this heritage sport of the UAE."

Apart from Dh400,000 on offer for the winners and other top finishing riders there are also a lot of awards for the spectators.

Lara Sawaya, Managing Director of Tasweeq said a Kia car was on offer for the spectators.

"The first 2,000 fans will be given free raffle tickets which will help them to win the car."

Guatemala: Malasia es el destino

Para los jinetes guatemaltecos Byron López, Clarissa de Wit y Fernando Paiz, el sueño de clasificar al Mundial de Endurance del otro año en Malasia, está muy cerca.

Y es que el fin de semana pasado los tres cumplieron una de las dos pruebas que la Federación Internacional Ecuestre pide como requisito para participar en el Malasia Challenge 2008.

[More ...]

Bahrain: Endurance race to feature five stages

Gulf Daily News
December 11

FIVE stages will be featured at the 120-km National Day Endurance Horseride Championship, scheduled for Saturday at the Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir.

The race, to be organised by the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation and sponsored by Batelco, consists of a 30 kms for the first two stages, 25 kms for the third, 20 kms for the fourth and 15 kms for the fifth.

Additional 85-km and 60-km qualifying races will be held during the event. The races are open to new riders and horses as the 85-km race will be divided into three stages with the first two stages over 30 kms while the third is over 20 kms. The 60-km race consists of two stages of 30 kms each

The veterinary examination will be held on Friday near the race venue in Sakhir from 2.30pm till 5pm. The weight of the participants in the main race should not exceed 75 kms.

Meanwhile, the organising committee announced members of the judging and technical committee which is headed by Breef general secretary Ghalib Al Alawi and includes Abdulsamad Al Busta, Haider Al Zo'bi and Ali Ghuloom.

Breef president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa earlier said that the race marks Bahrain's National Day Celebrations and is open to riders of all ages and nationalities.

Shaikh Nasser thanked Batelco which recently announced its sponsorship to the federation's programmes.

The Breef chief said that valuable prizes will be given away to the top riders, adding that the race promises to feature stiff competition among the participants who started their preparations much earlier for the event.

Great Britain: Eskar's an Endurance Star

Full Article - Midweek Herald

devon.editorial@archant.co.uk
12 December 2007
ENDURANCE rider Kirsty Wiscombe, from Lyme Regis, has just returned from the Endurance Great Britain Annual Awards ceremony where she picked up an armful of awards.

They were Reserve Supreme Champion, Best Arab, second in Senior Trophy and third in Best Graded. Kirsty, and her horse Eskar, were 27 points behind the Supreme Champion (having missed the last qualifier to compete in France) and several hundred points ahead of the next horses.

She has battled back from the death of her GB team horse Crimson Skye in January and breaking her own ankle in several places.

She said: "I just wanted to give up. My injury meant withdrawing from the World Equestrian Games squad, and we fought for two months to heal Crimson Skye's broken leg before having to have him put down. It was a terrible season."

A new horse, the seven-year-old pure bred Arab Eskar managed to change her mind. "He achieved things I didn't think were possible for a horse of his age," she said.

He was fourth in the tough 160km ride at Cirencester in June, also winning the best condition award. He had another best condition award at Firle two day ride and the season, curtailed by the Foot and Mouth outbreak restrictions, ended with a 16th place in the two day FEI three star ride Les 2 Jours de Montcuq in the South of France.

Kirsty said: "He is now one of the few 160km qualified seven year olds in the world and I had several French riders wanting to buy him."

It was a remarkable effort considering as well the marathon of actually getting there - 815 miles, 26 hours, including ferry trip, door to door.

Eskar finished the season 194th in the FEI world rankings and the combination are back on the GB senior squad. Their first team assessment will be in February.

Next season Kirsty will have four horses competing. Eskar and Connie (who also had a good season and is aimed at the 160km Golden Horseshoe class next year) and two new novices, Yawl Hillbilly, a homebred stallion, and Ishtar Spirit, a four year old part bred Arab mare who will be ridden by young rider Stevie Jones.

Junior rider Shelby France (who lives in Lancashire) who Kirsty has been training/escorting, was also crowned Junior Champion.