Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour steps into endurance racing row

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, owner of Manchester City, is understood to have intervened in the clean-up of endurance racing at the President's Cup ride in Abu Dhabi


By Pippa Cuckson


Six yellow warning cards were handed out, with two riders disqualified, at the 100-mile President's Cup ride in Abu Dhabi on Saturday as organisers finally reacted to global pressure to punish rule-breaking and horse abuse in Middle East endurance racing.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi and owner of Manchester City, is understood to have intervened in the clean-up, and been instrumental in the installation of security cameras at vet-gates (vet check) areas and on the “crew” cars following the horses.

Representatives of Lord Stevens’ intelligence services company Quest, and International Equestrian Federation (FEI) endurance director Ian Williams were on hand to support officials.

The unprecedented move came days after Telegraph Sport’s exposure of horse-beating by a running groom, caught on video at a ride in Sakhir, Bahrain, on Feb 8.

The FEI later announced that the rider, winner Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, received a yellow card and was suspended.

The Telegraph

Sheikh Mansoor festival Supports Four Endurance Races across Europe

Horsereporter.com - Full Article

by Pamela Burton

February 16, 2014, Abu Dhabi ~ The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival lends support to four Endurance Championships: Portugal-April 25 to 27, France-May 23 to 27, Italy-July 25 to 27, and Slovakia-September 27.

Lara Sawaya, director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and chairman of the Ladies Racing (IFAHR) gave a press briefing in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, February 16.

“Under the directives of HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the endurance and flat races will be combined together under the umbrella of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival,” Sawaya stated. “I would like above all to thank the Portuguese ambassador to the UAE, Jimmy Van Zeller Laitau, for coming, pointing out that the festival has started sponsoring endurance races last year and it is carrying on for the second season...”

Read more here:
http://www.horsereporter.com/2014/02/16/sheikh-mansoor-festival-supports-four-endurance-races-across-europe/

UAE: Al Jahouri and Niac Armor Again in Endurance Limelight

Horsereporter.com - Full Article

February 16 2014
Pamela Burton

February 15, 2014, Abu Dhabi ~ Wearing his typical shy smile, Khalifa Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri crossed the finish line in first place with his winning partner Niac Armor for Al Wathba Stables in the CEI *** 160km President of the UAE Endurance Cup, taking home the keys to a car, a custom Rolex watch and a cash prize of Dh300,000 (€60,000).

The two fought for the win at the Emirates International Endurance Village and triumphed over 128 starters finishing in the time of 06:03:39 at an average speed of 26.4kph...

Read more here:
http://www.horsereporter.com/2014/02/16/al-jahouri-and-niac-armor-again-in-endurance-limelight/

Endurance ride Gallops of Oman begins

By Lakshmi Kothaneth -

At the Sharqiyah Sands, 110 horse riders and that many pure bred Arabian horses lined up to begin their unique journey at 8.30 am yesterday morning, with magnificent sand dunes as their backdrop. The Minister of Tourism, Ahmed bin Nasser al Mehrzi, waved the flag officially starting the ride across 180 kms.
With the blessing of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, an avid horse lover, the ride was originally conceived to combine the thrill of adventure, with the exploration of a country that abounds with a rich cultural heritage, according to the organisers. These explorers of Oman will experience the land and its culture riding Oman’s own Arabian horses.
Riders from nine countries were full of excitement and focus as they prepared for the unique ride on exclusively Oman’s own Arabian horses. Majority of the horses are from the Royal Cavalry while others from private owners in Oman. For some of the riders it is the first time to camp in a desert and first time to ride a pure bred Arabian horse. “Arabian horses seemed to have more energy, and are fiery. It is very exciting,” some of the riders pointed out.
The first stage of Gallops of Oman covers 40 kms and will take the riders more than six hours to cover the distance. “It is a challenging one, especially the part where they have to climb up the dune and come down the slope. The horses have been here practising for a week,” explained Brigadier Abdulrazak Alshahwarzi.
The riders are from nine nationalities including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, UK, USA, Belgium, Switzerland and the host, Oman. The participants are formed into 22 teams of five each.
Today the riders will cover a distance of 41 kms where they will head to Tiwi Khazeena camp.
In the welcome speech, the chairman of the committee, Brigadier Abdulrazak Alshahwarzi, explained the unique concept of Gallops of Oman. The Royal Cavalry Band performed the welcome music.
In total there are five stages and the fifth stage will conclude at Qudayma Camp, the other two camps are at TIWI Al Hatayem Camp and Quhaid Camp.

Oman Observer

How to Piss off the Swiss

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

February 15 2014
Karen Robinson

When you refer to someone as ‘being Switzerland’, you aren’t likely to be accusing that person of being full of holes like Swiss Emmental, or delicious like Toblerone, or tall and slim like the Matterhorn. Chances are what you mean is that the person is refusing to take sides in a dispute, instead remaining neutral – much to the immense frustration of everyone on both sides. Switzerland is where the world’s great warring factions go to try and talk things out, such as the recent Syrian Peace Talks which took place in Montreux, the very same Montreux where the 2013 FEI GA was held. There is no doubt about it. The Swiss are world leaders at sitting on the fence.

So what does it take to get the Swiss riled up? I’m heartened to report a very worthy cause: the situation with FEI endurance that has completely exhausted my vocabulary for negative adjectives. Of all the national equestrian federations around the world, Switzerland is sticking to its guns more than anyone. My first exposure to Swiss backbone was at the GA in November, where I had the opportunity to meet the Swiss Fed’s Chef de Mission, Claude Nordmann. In spite of the fact that his federation played host to the 2013 GA (and ironically, hosted the cocktail party that followed the endurance presentation), Claude clearly identified much more with the shocked media than with the ecstatic majority who leapt to their feet to show their undying adoration for HRH and all that she does.

Since the GA, ground level realities continue to deteriorate at endurance races, and the Swiss federation has made no bones about its escalating disgust. On February 4th it issued a statement titled “Unsatisfactory starting point for the forthcoming endurance conference”, which you can read here. On February 12th, this piece appeared in The Guardian: “Swiss equestrian federation questions neutrality of Godolphin inquiry”. Yes indeedy. The Swiss are pissed...

Read more here:
http://www.horse-canada.com/straight-up/how-to-piss-off-the-swiss/

UAE: Niac Armor wins Endurance Cup

Khaleejtimes.com - Full Article

Hisham Al Gizouli / 16 February 2014

Al Wathba Stables’ teenage rider Al Jahouri rallies his colt to splendid victory at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba here on Saturday..

Teenager Khalfan Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri came from the back of the field to steer Anglo Arab mare Niac Armor home in the His Highness President of the United Arab Emirates Endurance Cup after he timed his run to perfection to land the title for Al Wathba Stables for the second straight year at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba here on Saturday.

The winner covered the distance in 6 hours, 3 minutes and 39 seconds at an average speed of 26.39 km/hour to finish 90 seconds ahead of runner-up Sultan Ahmed Al Baloushi followed by Mohammed Matar Al Mazroui, in a clean sweep of the UAE riders of the top positions...

Read more here:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/sport/inside_sport.asp?xfile=/data/nationsports/2014/February/nationsports_February160.xml§ion=nationsports

Pippa Cuckson: Guest Blog from the FEI Endurance Conference

Horsesportinternational.com - Full Article

February 15 2014

When the editor kindly offered me a guest blog about the FEI endurance conference in Lausanne on February 9, I decided to wait a day or so. I had already written five different news reports about it and wanted to crystallise some thoughts.

I also wanted a few hours off to play my viola and hug my horse. If you had just sat through an intense debate which included a serious discussion about the desirability of honouring horses that are still living five years after retiring from endurance, you’d be craving some normality, too.

Other stuff then happened to push the conference onto the back-burner. So here is my take on yet another you-couldn’t-make-it-up week of the unvarnished awfulness that defines endurance in the Middle East.

First – the decidedly unrevelatory Quest report into wrong-doings at Sheikh Mohammed’s various UK properties last year. Quest has provided the FEI’s integrity unit since 2010 yet accepted a commission direct from the FEI president’s husband to investigate the background to the Al Zarooni racehorse doping incidents, plus the drugs raids on Sheikh Mohammed’s Moorley Farm East stables, Newmarket – where he bases his endurance horses for the European season – and his private plane. Lord Stevens has stressed Quest’s impartiality and insisted that his investigating teams remain separate...

Read more here:
http://www.horsesportinternational.com/2014/02/pippa-cuckson-guest-blog-from-the-fei-endurance-conference/