UAE: Yousef Wins Shaikh Rashid bin Hamdan Challenge

Khaleejtimes.com

22 March 2009

ABU DHABI - President’s Cup winner Yousef Ahmed Al Baloushi won the Shaikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Challenge 2 FEI CEI 119km Endurance Ride at the Emirates International Endurance Village at Al Wathba on Saturday.

The champion trainer, from the famed Al Reef Stables, finished with a time of four hours, 36 minutes and 44 seconds. Harmke Margreta Westervelt of The Netherlands, astride Khaki, was second with a time of four hours, 39 minutes and 48 seconds, while Saeed Mohd Al Jaber Al Marri of the UAE, riding Hurst Kariba, from the Al Reef Stables, was third with a timing of four hours, 47 minutes and 43 seconds.

World Endurance champion Maria Alvarez Ponton of Spain, who had won the Al Jaber Group Endurance Cup for ladies UAE CEN 92km Endurance Ride earlier on Friday, was fourth. Maria, astride Vendetta from the Emirates Stables, had a time of four hours, 47 minutes and 51 seconds. Hassan bin Ali of the UAE, riding Centre Traveller, was fifth, with a time of four hours, 56 minutes and 17 seconds. It was a keen tussle between Yousef and Harmke but Yousef held on, to prevail in the end. Yousef, astride Carallio, finished the first loop of 32km in third spot before jumping to the top spot in the 27km second loop. He maintained the top position in the third stage of 24km before he dropped a spot to second by the end of the 20km fourth loop. But Yousef fought back to finish the fifth loop of 16km in top spot. He had an average speed of 25.80.

Harmke, meanwhile, finished the first stage in sixth spot before jumping to second after the second loop. Harmke held on to the second spot in the third loop as well before making a charge in the fourth loop to grab the top spot. But Harmke slipped up to eventually finish second.

Maria staged a splendid fightback to finish fourth. She had finished the first stage in 30th position, before working her way up.

She ended the second loop in 17th place before jumping to 10th after the third loop. She moved to the third spot after the fourth stage but dropped down a spot to finish the fifth loop in fourth position.

Around 80 riders took part in the Ride which was organised by the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.

The Ride was held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs and the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club. The event had a total prize money of Dh550,000 and Yousef won a Nissan Patrol car. Harmke was richer by Dh50,000, while Saeed Mohd Al Jaber Al Marri got Dh 45,000. There were cash prizes for the Best Conditioned Horse Competition as well.
Results:
Yousef Ahmed Al Baloushi (UAE (Carallio) (Al Reef Stables) 4:36.44 seconds

Harmke Margreta Westervelt (Ned) (Khaki) (Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum) 4:39.48s.

Saeed Mohd Al Jaber Al Marri (UAE) (Hurst Kariba) (Al Reef Stables) 4:47.43s.

Maria Alvarez Ponton (Esp) (Vendetta) (Emirates Stables) 4:47.51s.

Hassan bin Ali (UAE) (Centre Traveller) (Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum) 4:56.17s

UAE: Maria Rides Antares Sauveterre to Victory

Khaleej Times
March 19 2009

ABU DHABI - World Endurance champion Maria Alvarez Ponton won the Al Jaber Group Endurance Cup for ladies, winning the UAE CEN 92km Endurance Ride at the Emirates International Endurance Village, Al Wathba on Friday. Spaniard Maria, astride 13-year-old Antares Sauveterre, from the Emirates Stables, finished with a time of three hours, 21 minutes and one second. The average speed was 27.46.

The event was held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs and the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club. Latifa Al Shaikh of Saudi Arabia, astride 13-year-old Coolaroo Jubal from the Al Reef Stables, was second with a timing of 3:21.52 seconds. Layla Abdul Aziz Al Redha of the UAE, was third. Layla, astride Kerria Du Vrihou, finished with a time of 3:21.59 seconds. UAE’s Reem Shaban Ibrahim Hasan came in fourth. Reem, riding Sharahd Sataka from the Al Reef Stables, had a time of 3:26.22 seconds. Argentina’s Ana Lia Mendez, astride Benaur Tom Dooley, from the Emirates Stables, was fifth. Maria, who rode Antares Sauveterre to victory in the 90km Dubai Equestrian Club Endurance Challenge for Ladies, at the end of February, stamped her class again. She finished second to start off with, after the first loop of 32km. But after that, Maria, who won the silver and her husband Jaume Punti Dachs the bronze in the European Championship, moved to the top spot and held position for the remaining three loops.

But the most thrilling Ride of the day was form Latifa Al Shaikh of Saudi Arabia. Having finished the first loop in 10th position, Latifa fought back in fine fashion. She jumped five spots up to fifth after the second loop and moved to fourth at the end of the third loop and finished second. Layla Abdul Aziz Al Redha too fought back well. Finishing the first loop in seventh spot, Layla moved to third after the second stage.

Results: Maria Alvarez Ponton (Esp) (Antares Sauveterre) (Emirates Stables) 3:21.01s; Latifa Al Shaikh (KSA) (Coolaroo Jubal) (Al Reef Stables) 3:21.52s; Layla Abdul Aziz Redha (UAE) (Kerria Du Vrihou) (Shaikh Faisal bin Saqr Al Qasimi) 3:21.59s; Reem Shaban Ibrahim Hasan (UAE) (Sharahd Sataka) (Al Reef Stables) 3:26.22s; Ana Lia Mendez (Arg) (Benaur Tom Dooley) (Emirates Stables) 3:42.04s.

Qatar: Al Shaqab Endurance Team to Compete in Emir’s Cup

March 19, 2009
Doha, Qatar -- The Al Shaqab Endurance Team will enter a total of 19 riders in the prestigious Emir’s Cup Endurance Race that will be held Saturday, 21st March at the Qatar Endurance Village in Mesaeed near Sealine Beach.

The Emir’s Cup is the highlight of the Qatar Endurance season and entails winning purses of over QR 1,000,000. The Cup will have a 100km race for Junior-age riders and a 120km race for Senior entrants. Al Shaqab will have twelve Senior entrants and seven Junior riders.

Al Shaqab’s Endurance Team, member of Qatar Foundation, is headed by General Supervisor Owaida Al Hajeri, Manager and Trainer Hadi Nasser Al Ramzani and Assistant Manager Jabr Nasser Al Ramzani.

As one of the fastest growing international equestrian events, endurance racing consists of varied terrain through a course in the desert. There are mandatory check points where all horses must pass a veterinary inspection, including tests for heart rate, respiratory abilities and dehydration. A horse must pass the inspection to continue on to the next check point, including a final inspection at the end of the race to clock an official time. Any horse that does not pass a test in the check point, or is considered lame, is eliminated from the race.

Riders competing on the Al Shaqab Endurance team for the Senior race are the following: Atta Mohammed Peer, Mohammed Tahous Saif Al Nuaimi, Khalid Al Malki, Faleh Nasser Saleh Bughenaim, Hanut Singh, Abdulrahmen Al Sulaitin, Essa Ahmed Al Mannai, Khalid Sanad Al Naimi, Jassim Mohammed Al Maadhadi, Hadi Nasser Al Naimi, Mohammed Sanad Al Naimi and Llyas Mushtak Khan.

Competing as a Junior in the Cup for Al Shaqab are: Hassan Tahous Al Nuaimi, Hamad Rashid Al Ardhi, Abdul Aziz Mohammed, Saad Senan Al Kaabi, Abdulla Towaim Al Marri, Rashid Naif Ibrahim and Salem Rashid Al Marri.



P.O. Box 90055
Doha, Qatar
(974) 454-6245
sdohmann@qf.org.qa

Bank Windhoek Otjivero Endurance Ride

NewEra.com.na
March 19, 2009

WINDHOEK – The fourth annual Bank Windhoek Independence Otjivero Endurance Ride gets under way at Gobabis tomorrow.

Bank Windhoek is sponsoring the event for the umpteenth time with a staggering amount of N$15 000.00, in addition to Bank Windhoek promotional caps, golf shirts, waterbottles and folders.

The Bank Windhoek Independence Otjivero Endurance Ride attracted 87 participants in distances ranging from 30 to 160km last year. This year, riders will again test their mettle in the junior, senior and heavyweight categories over distances of 33.6; 66.5; 83.1; 100.3; 127.1 and 160 kms.

Endurance riding in Namibia dates back to 1966 and has grown in popularity ever since. This particular equestrian sporting discipline is unique in its own sense because of the fact that it’s not always the fastest horse that takes the accolades, but rather the horse and rider with the ability to complement each other.

Endurance riders must be physically fit with immense determination. The sport’s ability to unite diverse cultures, coupled with the addition of high quality locally bred horses, makes it an ideal activity for the country as a whole.

Namibian Equestrian Federation

Namibia Endurance Ride Association

Malaysia: Meet ‘horse uncle’ Mutalib

The New Straits Times

HE proves that nothing is impossible if you put your mind and heart into it.

Abdul Mutalib Ismail, 43, who owns a logistics company, has won trophies in various landscaping, bird-singing and cat competitions.

This Penangite, known as mamu kuda (horse uncle), also set up the first horse endurance club in the state, the Al-Khamsa Endurance Club, in January this year. (Other states have similar endurance clubs.)

Al-Khamsa is an Arabic term to mean “the five” which refers to Prophet Muhammad’s five favourite horses.
The endurance race challenges both the fitness and skills of the horse and rider. The races are in the 40km, 80km, 120km and 160km categories.

Eight months prior to setting up the club, Mutalib learnt all he could about horses.

His interest in the sport was ignited after a few horse-riding sessions and visits to various endurance races.

He came across many talented Malaysian riders at the races, including the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin.

“So I learnt how to ride, bought my first foal and started training.”

After months of practice, he decided to form his own club.

“I started with 30 members. We are still small compared with other endurance clubs but I believe that one day we will be as big as them.”

“I currently own six Arabian horses. They are known for their intelligence and stamina, and thus ideal for endurance races. Riders must be able to communicate with their horses in order for them to perform well,” said Mutalib.

He said Arabian horses, with their distinctively shaped heads and high tail carriages, are one of the most easily recognisable horse breeds in the world.

“Today, Arabian bloodlines are found in almost every modern breed of riding horses,” he added.

Mutalib said that like most international sports, endurance riding has the potential to contribute towards the state’s tourism industry.

He wants to promote endurance riding and attract youths to get involved in the sport.

“Horse endurance racing is not easy. Both horse and rider need to be physically and mentally prepared. It’s tough but I love the adrenaline rush I get every time I race,” said Mutalib.

He plans to organise state events, open a riding school and teach endurance training to get Penangites involved in the sport.

“Many think it’s expensive to participate in the sport. But this is untrue. You just have to master riding — and you don’t even have to own a horse to do so,” said Mutalib.

He added that he intends to give free riding lessons to the underpriviledged such as orphans and the handicapped.

At the moment he is eyeing the Melaka Grand International Endurance Ride next month.

“Horses are passionate animals. As you ride the horse regularly, the bond between you will get stronger. Treat the horse well and it will treat you well in return.”

For more information about the Al-Khamsa Endurance Club, email Mutalib at alkhamsa5@gmail.com.

[More ...]

UAE: 60 riders register for Al Jaber race

Gulfnews.com

M. Satya Narayan
March 17, 2009, 23:09

Abu Dhabi: Some of the UAE's top lady riders will be seen in action this Friday in the Al Jaber Group Endurance Cup for Ladies - a 90-km national ride to be held at the Emirates International Village in Al Wathba.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Antonie Chamy, the group administration manager for the Al Jaber Group said: "Our chairman, Obaid Khalifa Al Jaber, takes great pride in supporting activities in the community, be it sport or other related events."

"The Al Jaber Group Endurance Cup for Ladies is of particular importance and we take great pride in being part of this endeavour," said Al Jaber, in a statement read on his behalf.

"This is not the first time that we have been associated with endurance races, as we have supported and sponsored such an event in the past. But Friday's 90-km Al Jaber Group Endurance Cup for Ladies is of special significance as this sport is part of the UAE's heritage and culture," said Al Jaber.

"The UAE riders are already well-known all over the world and have won every major international championship. We hope that this Al Jaber Group Endurance Cup for Ladies will help encourage more riders to join the sport and throw up more champions," he said.

Lara Sawaya, Tasweeq managing director, said over 60 riders had confirmed their entries for the ride.

"This number may go up. A total purse of Dh400,000 which includes a car for the winner will be up for grabs," she said.

Friday's ride is being held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs.

UAE: Hassan Bin Ali swoops late to win

Gulf News

By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
Published: March 14, 2009, 23:03

Abu Dhabi: The experienced Hassan Bin Ali unleashed terrific pace in the final loop astride Wer Krass to win the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) Emirates Championship endurance ride on Saturday.

A well-known sportsman of the UAE, the former car-racer who has won many an endurance ride in the UAE and abroad, was third going into the final loop of 16kms in the 119-km event, which attracted 85 riders to Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba.

Leading from the start, Dhahi Abdullah Khamis Al Dhahi on Omani Iman topped the first four stages and went into the final stage almost a minute ahead of Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri in the second place while Bin Ali was two and a half minutes behind.

Bin Ali and his 9-year-old horse had until the final stage registered an average speed of 25.59km/h which was commendable under the dusty conditions.

However he seemed to have paced his horse well as Wer Krass moved from 13th in the first stage to third in the penultimate and was still in good shape.

Wer Krass obliged his rider with an amazing average speed of 30.51km/h on the final 16km, sealing victory.

Al Dhahi on Omani Iman finished second only ten seconds behind the winner.

"This horse is owned by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, and I have to thank him for all the support he gives us. Though I did come close a few times, today's win is the first for this season," said Bin Ali.

"Last year I won the Sorouh Cup here and for today's win I have to give full credit to my horse Wer Krass," said Bin Ali, who received the keys to a 4WD car for his win.

Rashid Salem Mohammad Al Faresi on Lienka finished third.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Shaikh Hamdan and Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, watched the event.