Shaikh Hamdan wins President's Cup

Gulf News article
Shaikh Hamdan wins President's Cup

By M. Satya NarayanSenior Reporter
Published: February 16, 2008, 17:27

Abu Dhabi: Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, led a UAE sweep of the top three places in the H.H. The President of the United Arab Emirates Cup endurance ride yesterday.

Riding Kaysand Farrazah, Shaikh Hamdan completed the gruelling 160km course in 6hrs 52mins 29 secs.

Mohammad Ahmad Ali Al Subose (Kevin de Narthoux) was a close second in 6:52.30, while Mohammad Rashed Al Subosi (Genio 11) finished third in 6:57.24. Oman's Ahmad Salim Al Beloushi was fourth in 7:06.51.

With Malaysia set to host the World Endurance Championships in November, some of the top riders from around the world were in action, either to prepare or to qualify for the event.

However, even before the first loop of 34kms was over, four of the top contenders - Shaikh Rashid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Shaikh Hazza Bin Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, HH Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup winner Omair Hussain Al Beloushi and Ali Mohammad Al Muhairi had retired.

Striking distance

In the second stage, another favourite Yousef Ahmad Al Beloushi fell by the wayside, while in the third loop, Shaikh Mayed Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum also made an exit.

Shaikh Hamdan was 16th after the first loop while Majid Salem Al Sabri, Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri and Oman's Ahmad Salim Al Beloushi were fighting for the top place.

Shaikh Hamdan increased his pace to move into second and when the first five stages were completed he was in third. But on the final loop of 16kms, Al Jahouri's horse Aghmed went lame about two kms from the finish and Shaikh Hamdan was within striking distance to win the Dh1.5 million ride, sponsored by Hydra Properties and Emirates NBD.

Shaikh Hamdan, winner of team gold medals at the European Open Championships and the 2006 Asian Games, completed a memorable day when his horse was adjudged 'Best Conditioned Horse' to bag a special cash prize. That was after he also won the key to a 4WD car for his triumph.

Shaikh Nasser praises UAE rider's victory

BAHRAIN Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa congratulated UAE's Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoom on winning the UAE Endurance Horseride Championship held in Abu Dhabi.

Shaikh Nasser praised the performance of Shaikh Hamdan throughout the race which was over 160km with more than 120 riders from the UAE and overseas in the fray.

They are from the UK, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, France, Italy, the US, Malaysia, Russia, Uruguay, Indonesia, Oman and Bangladesh.

The race was divided into five stages with the first stage covering a total distance of 34 kms, 32 kms for the second, 30 kms for the fourth and 24 kms for the fifth.

Shaikh Hamdan completed the race with a total time of six hours, 52 minutes and 29 seconds. Behind him was compatriot Mohammed Al Sabosi (6:52:32) in second place while Mohammed Al Sabosi (6:57:24), also of the UAE, was third.

Endurance.Net Coverage

Major win, says elated Hamdan

Gulf News Article
By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
Published: February 17, 2008, 01:26

Abu Dhabi: Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, hailed his success at the HH The President Cup on Saturday as one of his most prestigious triumphs.

"Me and my horse finishing first is a major triumph. But the bigger victory is in the fact that it is the HH The President of the United Arab Emirates Endurance Cup," said Shaikh Hamdan after his win.

Shaikh Hamdan's best display in the eight-year history of the President's Cup has been a second-place finish in 2002 and sixth place finishes in the inaugural year and again in 2006.

Immediately after his horse passed the final veterinary inspection and was declared the winner, Shaikh Hamdan wound a UAE flag around Kaysand Farrazah, a horse with which he enjoys a close relationship having finished fourth in the European Open Championship in 2007 (Portugal). "I dedicate this win to His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Shaikha Fatma Bint Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan," Shaikh Hamdan said.

HH Sh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum Wins President's Cup

The 2008 HH The President of the U.A.E. Endurance Cup has been won by HH Shiekh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum riding Kaysand Farrazah in a time of 6:52:29. Following closely, with a time of 6:52:30, was Mohammed Ali Al Subose riding Kevin de Narthoux.

The race, held at the Abu Dhabi Emirates International Endurance Village, was hotly contested with 88 starters in the 160km event. Images and complete results may be found at:

www.endurance.net

France bids for 2014 World Equestrian Games

Horsetalk.co.nz
February 13, 2008

The French Equestrian Federation is the first to formally apply to the FEI with a proposal to stage the 2014 World Equestrian Games.

The French have proposed the games be held in the region of Basse-Normandie in Northern France with the organisers to be Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), organisers of the world's biggest cycling race Tour de France and the annual off-road race The Dakar Rally.

Horse Sport Ireland has also expressed interest in hosting the games, with sponsorship from Dr Pearse Lyons, Global President of Alltech. HSI has set up a working party but a formal proposal has not yet been received by the FEI.

The FEI says that it will follow a clear and fair process in the allocation of the seventh FEI World Equestrian Games, the several procedures in place to help with decision making.

In the period until October 2008, any bidders will be visited by the FEI management and technical experts to assess their technical and commercial capabilities as well as to assist the federation and organiser in the preparation of their bid and clarify any issues that may arise.

Formal bids should be finalised by October 2008; the contract will be signed during the FEI General Assembly in November 2008.

The bids will then be circulated to the FEI Bureau. Bidders will be asked to make a formal presentation prior to the decision by the Bureau on the host Organiser, which will be taken in the spring of 2009.

Top class field for President's Cup ride

Gulf News article
By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
Published: February 14, 2008, 00:45
(photo: Ravindranath/Gulf News)
Lara Sawaya, Managing Director, Tasweeq, Dr. Sulaiman Al Fahim, Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi and Ali Mohammad Ali at a press conference to announce the His Highness President's Cup Ride at Abu Dhabi Equestrian and Racing Club yesterday.


Abu Dhabi: Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Shaikh Mayed Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum are expected to be part of a 100-strong line-up for the Dh1.5 million His Highness The President's Cup endurance ride on Saturday.

The 160-km FEI CEI three-star ride will be held at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba and is sponsored by Hydra Properties and Emirates National Bank of Dubai.

Apart from Shaikh Hamdan and Shaikh Mayed, the strong UAE representation includes Shaikh Abdullah Bin Faisal Al Qasimi, Shaikha Madiya Hasher Mana Al Maktoum, Sultan Bin Sulayem, Hassan Bin Ali, Ali Mohammad Al Muhairi, Rashed Salem Bin Ghadayer, Yousuf Ahmad Al Beloushi, Omair Hussain Abdullah Al Beloushi, Abdullah Khamis Ali Saeed and many other top riders.

His Majesty Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, the King of Malaysia, is part of a very strong list of foreign riders, many of whom will be using the event to prepare for the World Endurance Championship, to be held in Malaysia later this year.

Top American riders John Crandell and Katherine Brunjes along with Stephen Rojek, Australia's Meg Wade, Dubai-based Spanish husband and wife pair of Jaume Punti Dachs and Maria Alvarez Ponton, French stars Virginia Atger, Philippe Benoit and Marlyn Lemoine are also in the fray.

Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, said: "The total prize money on offer is Dh1.5 million. In addition, the winner will also receive a car. Cash prize will also be given to the best conditioned horse award winner."

Dr. Sulaiman Al Fahim, CEO of Hydra Properties, said: "Hydra Properties has been in the forefront in sponsorship of various community events including sport, but this support for The His Highness The President of the United Arab Emirates Cup is a moment of great pride .

"Last week Hydra Properties sponsored the His Highness The President's Cup for Juniors and we were very happy to see some of the most promising youngsters display their skill in endurance, a sport which is part of our culture and heritage."

Ali Mohammad Ali, Regional Manager, Abu Dhabi, Emirates NBD, who also addressed the press conference, said: "This is the year that we are involved with the His Highness President's Cup. It is an honour for us to be among the sponsors of this prestigious event, which is taking the local and regional equestrian sport to an international level."

Saturday's ride gets off to a mass start at 6am and will be run in six loops of 34, 32, 30, 24, 24 and 16 kms.

Dutch endurance champion Joan Eikelboom dies - Feb 12 2008

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Story

Former national Dutch endurance champion Joan Eikelboom died on February 1 in Namibia. She was aged 38.

Eikelboom was the national and international face of Dutch endurance for the last decade. She began riding as a teenager, and took up endurance in 1995. She gradually increased her competition distances from 80 to 160km, and in 2004 was Dutch National Endurance Champion.

At the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, she was one of the organizers of the support and grooming for the South African Endurance team.

She died at her farm, Katjapia, in Okahandja, where she had moved to in October last year.

She is survived by her busband, Ab van Wijk. The funeral took place on February 7, under the tree where she and Ab were married on December 21, 2007.

A memorial service will be held in the Netherlands at a later date.