Qatar: International Season Begins for Al Shaqab Endurance Team

Al Khalediah Festival Cup Endurance Challenge Scheduled for Tues, Jan. 27

26/01/09, Doha, Qatar – The Al Shaqab Endurance Team, member of the Qatar Foundation, will begin its international season in the Al Khalediah Festival Cup Endurance Challenge, Tuesday, January 27, Tebrak, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The event marks the first international competition for the Al Shaqab team since representing Qatar to a dramatic silver medal finish in the 2008 World Endurance Championship held in Malaysia.

Al Shaqab entered a team of six riders that will be headed by: Owaida Al Hajeri, general supervisor; Hadi Nasser Al Ramzani, manager and trainer; and Jabr Nasser Al Ramzani, assistant trainer.

Riders competing for Al Shaqab: Atta Mohammed Beer, Faleh Nasser Saleh Bughenaim, Mohammed Tahous Saif Al Naimi, Hassan Tahous Saif Al Naimi, Abdul Rahmen Al Sulaiteen, Khalid Al Malki Al Jehani.

The event is a 120 km FEI sanctioned CEI *** event and the course will include a mix of various terrains, undulating slopes and flat sandy areas. It will be divided into five loops and after each loop the horses are stopped for a mandatory veterinary inspection. They will be checked for heart rate, respiratory and dehydration. Only those horses that pass the veterinary check are allowed to continue the race. Any horse that is determined unfit by the veterinary team, due to fatigue or lameness, is eliminated from the competition.

Abu Dhabi: Al Kamda registers first win at Shaikh Mansour Cup

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

M. Satya Narayan
January 24, 2009

Abu Dhabi: Ahmad Saeed Al Kamda registered his first career-win riding Al Galyb HCF in the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup, a 100-kilometre ride restricted to riders and owners of private stables.

It could have been a 1-2 for the Al Kamda family but Rashid Saeed Al Kamda, who finished holding hands with the eventual winner Ahmad Saeed, was eliminated after his horse Jeelan failed the post-ride vet check due to metabolism reasons.

Layla Abdul Aziz Al Redha, who has won such an event for private stables, finished second while the young Aliya Ali Mohammad Al Marzouqi was third.

"I have been involved with horses since a child and have been riding for well over a decade but this is my first win," said the 25-year-old Al Kamda.

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Abu Dhabi: Al Beloushi ends season's drought

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

M. Satya Narayan
January 24, 2009

Abu Dhabi: Yousuf Ahmad Al Beloushi, one of the most consistent performers in the UAE's domestic circuit, finally ended his wait for his first win of the season at the Emirates International Endurance Village on Saturday.

The champion trainer-cum-rider scored an emphatic win, leading from start to finish, in the 120-kilometre Al Wathba Cup.

Yesterday's ride, sponsored by Sorouh Real Estate, China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation and the Breeding Stables of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, in Normandy, was attended by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The Al Reef Stables' star rider Yousuf, who has trained winners in nine of the rides held so far this season, had missed winning on quite a few occasions but when the win did come it was an authoritative one. Riding 11-year-old Roherty Bold, Yousuf set the pace early as he registered a speed of 27.77 kilometres per hour in the opening loop of 32 kilometres and from then on was in control, scoring his fourth win on the bay gelding.

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Malaysia: Tuanku Mizan To Participate In RTES Endurance Ride

Bernama.com

January 24, 2009

SETIU, Jan 24 (Bernama) -- The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin will lead 51 participants in the Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable (RTES) Endurance Ride 2009 that will be held at the Terengganu International Endurance Park (TIEP) in Lembah Bidong here Sunday.

The General Manager of the RTES, Che Mat Din Ismail, said the King will take part in the 80km category together with 26 others with the start being at 6.30am. The ride is expected to finish at 4.30pm.

"Besides the King, also in the Endurance Ride is the Regent of Terengganu, Tengku Muhammad Ismail, and his sister Tengku Nadhirah Zaharah who will take part in the 40km category," he said at a news conference here Saturday.

For the 40km event which is expected finish at 12.30pm, he said there were 26 entries received but two were rejected as the horses did not pass the health test while another withdrew at the last minute.

According to him, the Endurance Ride is a warm-up event for the sport and beginning this year it will be held every month to have more young talent take part in the sport in the country.

He said beginning this year the competition will be coordinated by the Malaysia Endurance Riders Association (MERA) which was newly set up and each rider who wanted to participate in an endurance horse race abroad must take part in the local endurance ride circuit to collect points before representing the country at the international level.

The international races include the World Junior Championship in Hungary and the European Open Championship in Italy, both to be held in September.

He said the besides the TIEP in Terengganu the local circuit would also include parks in other states including Melaka, Kedah, Pahang, Kelantan and Perlis.

Besides MERA, the endurance races that will be held monthly will also be organised by the Equestrian Association of Malaysia and the Ministry of Youth and Sports through the National Sports Institute.

Abu Dhabi: Ladies endurance day

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

M. Satya Narayan
January 24, 2009

Abu Dhabi: Afra Khalifa Al Suwaidi and Australian ace Margaret Wade drove away with a 4WD car each after finishing first and second in yesterday's Sorouh-sponsored Shaikha Fatima Bint Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Ladies Endurance Challenge 90-km ride at Emirates International Endurance Village.

For Afra, it was a great win as she started the final stage behind the experienced Wade, who has won the Australian National Championship four times and has a lot of experience riding in the World Cup.

But riding Al Reef horse Kassalo, Afra rode the final 16 kms at an average speed of 27.55 kms to finish with almost two minutes to spare. Wade, who finished the first 30-km stage in second place then forged ahead and led for the next two stages of 24kms and 20kms.

However Afra's horse Kassalo, a 14-year-old part Arab trained by champion Yousuf Ahmad Al Beloushi, did well to overturn an 18-second deficit into a comfortable win.

"Last year I won at the Al Asayel Ladies championship series and this is another great win for me. It was really very tough as the pace set by the riders was very high," said the winner, who was given the keys to her car by young Shaikha Fatima Bint Mansour Bin ZayedAl Nahyan.

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Qatar: Al Shaqab team to compete in Heir Apparent Endurance Cup

Thepeninsulaqatar.com

1/23/2009

Doha: The Al Shaqab Endurance Team has entered an impressive roster of 21 riders in the two divisions of the His Highness Heir Apparent Endurance Cup.

The competition will be held on Saturday (January 24), 5:30am at the Qatar Endurance Village near Sea Line.

The Al Shaqab Team is headed by Owaida Al Hajeri, general supervisor; Hadi Nasser Al Ramzani, manager and trainer; and Jabr Nasser Al Ramzani, assistant manager.

Al Shaqab, member of the Qatar Foundation, will be represented by 13 riders in the 119 km Senior Division with a strong group of eight riders set to compete in the 100 km Junior Division.

Leading riders for the Al Shaqab team include: Atta Mohammed Beer, winner of the 2008 H H Heir Apparent senior division; and Faleh Nasser Saleh Bughenaim, winner of last year's junior division.

In addition to training the team, Hadi Nasser Al Ramzani will also compete as a rider.

Abu Dhabi: Top riders set to return to action

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

M. Satya Narayan
January 22, 2009

Abu Dhabi: Some of the top riders in the UAE will be seen in action in tomorrow's 120-km Al Wathba Cup and the 100-km Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup for Privately-owned horses to be held at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba.

The China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation (CPECC), the breeding stables of Shaikh Mansour based in Normandy, France along with Sorouh Real Estate PJSC are sponsoring the two rides.

"The management of CPECC thanks Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister for Presidential Affairs and President of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, for giving us the opportunity to be involved in the two prestigious endurance events on January 24," said Liu Xihui, Vice President of CPECC.

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