Saudia Arabia: Al Ula will host 2026 World Endurance Championship

Inside.FEI.org

A+ for the FEI World Championships 2026 as Aachen and Al Ula confirmed as hosts

19 November 2023
Author: FEI Communications

There will be two destinations in 2026 if you are looking to attend an FEI World Championship; Aachen in Germany for the lion’s share with Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage, Eventing, Driving and Vaulting set to take place from 10 to 23 August 2026; and Al Ula in Saudi Arabia for Endurance on 17 October 2026.

Aachen is renowned internationally for its CHIO, which dates back almost a hundred years and offers excellent facilities and flawless organisation to the world’s best riders and thousands of spectators, who flock to the Soers venue evey summer. In 2006 – exactly 20 years prior to the FEI World Championships 2026 – Aachen hosted the fifth edition of the FEI World Equestrian Games™, the major event where from 1990 to 2018 World Championships in all the FEI disciplines were held at the same time at the same venue. The Aachen Games were a remarkable public and sporting success and attracted no less than 576,000 spectators generating unprecedented media coverage.

“We thank the FEI for their trust,” CHIO Aachen General Manager Michael Mronz said. “We feel honoured and pleased to host, together with the German Equestrian Federation, the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026 in six disciplines: Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Vaulting and Para Dressage. Already today we would like to invite the entire world of equestrian sport to Aachen so that we can celebrate an unforgettable event together in 2026.”

Al-Ula is an ancient Arabic oasis city in the Medina Province, located approximately 1000kms northwest from the Saudi capital Riyadh. It is a place of extraordinary beauty as well as rare human and natural heritage going back 200,000 years of largely unexplored human history. Al Ula, which is undergoing spectacular development as a nature, cultural, education and sporting centre, hosts the annual Fursan Endurance Cup, which attracts some 200 horses and riders from over 40 countries to each edition.

“The Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation and the Royal Commission for Al Ula have collaborated to secure this honourable hosting opportunity,” HH Prince Abdullah Bin Fahad Bin Abdullah Al Saud, President of Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation, said.

“This responsibility weighs greatly upon us, and we are confident that Al Ula will deliver an authentic and unprecedented sporting experience within a unique and fascinating context. We are diligently preparing for an event of this calibre, aligning with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030," he concluded.

“We are proud to have been awarded the FEI Endurance World Championship 2026 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, at Al Ula,” Ziad Abdulrahman Al Suhaibani, Head of Sport Sector at the Royal Commission for Al Ula, declared.

“The majestic county of Al Ula has proven to be an ideal destination for endurance rides, boasting a technical track immersed in evocative natural beauty. Sport and equestrianism stand as pivotal elements in Al Ula's socioeconomic development.”

“The allocation by the FEI Board of the FEI World Championships 2026 to Aachen and Al Ula is a significant decision for the future of equestrian sport,” said FEI President Ingmar De Vos.

“We examined every aspect of the bids we received and especially the sporting infrastructures, the conditions for the horses, accessibility and sustainability. The FEI is delighted to have secured such outstanding hosts for our most prestigious Championships three years in advance, which allows plenty of time for preparation and planning.

“I would like to congratulate the winners, who submitted outstanding bids. We are all well aware of Aachen’s unique track record of organising extremely successful large-scale events. We were impressed with Al Ula’s proposal, which not only contains all the components of a successful event but seeks to showcase the heritage and potential of an entire region.

“And last but not least, I would like to thank all the bidders, who took part in this process for their strong bids and commitment to the sport. It was not easy to choose between such strong bids. We hope that those who didn’t get it this time will consider bidding for future events.”

In addition to the FEI World Championships 2026, the FEI Board allocated the FEI European Championships 2025 in Dressage, Driving, Endurance, and Vaulting. Details will be available in the wrap-up report, which will be issued following the meeting.

Bahrain: Team Victorious riders shine in key endurance qualifiers

GDNOnline.com - Full Article

Sun, 05 Nov 2023

TEAM Victorious rider Shaikh Isa bin Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa was crowned champion of the 120km local race, the second round of the 2023/2024 endurance racing season organised by the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) at the Bahrain International Endurance Village yesterday.

His Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian work and youth affairs and Breef honorary president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa congratulated Shaikh Isa and praised the team for their lead and winning top positions...

Read more here:
https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1294898/Team-Victorious-riders-shine-in-key-endurance-qualifiers#

Ban for rider who ‘ran away’ and ‘escaped’ from anti-doping sample collection

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Eleanor Jones
28 October, 2023 19:51

A rider who “escaped”, and “ran away” when FEI officials wanted to take a mandatory sample for dope-testing after his horse failed a hyposensitivity test, has been suspended for two years.

The FEI Tribunal has ruled on the case of Saudi Arabian rider Ayedh Al Maghamer, in relation to a charge of evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection, with eight-year-old Talaqah at a CEI1* endurance ride in Saudi Arabia on 11 February this year...

Read more here:
https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/ban-for-rider-who-ran-away-from-anti-doping-sample-collection-841931

Female Saudi jockey aces 100 km endurance race in France

Arabnews.com - Full ArticleRahaf Jambi
October 21, 2023

Razan Al-Rajhi is riding high after completing a 100 km endurance race in France

RIYADH: Saudi jockey Razan Al-Rajhi is riding high after completing a 100 km endurance race in France — less than a year after taking to the saddle.

And her achievement in Le Pertre was recently celebrated at an event organized by the Al-Sarim Al-Battar Academy at its stable in Janadriyah, on the northern outskirts of Riyadh.

The academy offers a program dedicated to training female jockeys.

Al-Rajhi told Arab News: “The endurance race in France was challenging, but I was determined to demonstrate that Saudi women are capable of achieving anything...”

Read more here:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2395411/sport

Spain: First Andalucia IRONHORSE. Almeria el Rocio in May 2024

October 2, 2023 Gabriel Gamiz El Raid Blog

October 2, 2023
By Gabriel Gamiz

We have scheduled the First Andalucia IRONHORSE, the test that replaces the mythical Al-Andalus and later Kaliber Andalucia, that will be held from May 4 to 11, 2024.

It will be an test of about 60 kilometers. with two phases. From Almería to El Rocio, it is one of the routes of the Caminos del Rocio.

We will inform you about the Progress of the Program and the regulations.

It is a way to enjoy the routes of Andalusia, and share with friends for seven days. I have very good memories of the two old, different endurance tests.

And many national and foreign fans ask me about this test.

I will continue to inform.

Greetings from Gabriel.

Two Qatar endurance horses test positive

Inside.FEI.org

FEI Tribunal issues two Consent Awards in equine anti-doping case

10 October 2023
Author: FEI

The FEI Tribunal has issued two Consent Awards in an equine anti-doping case involving a Banned and a Controlled Medication Substance.

In this case, the horse Zaime (FEI ID 106SS76/QAT), ridden by Mohd Jubal Ahmed Sayadur Rahman (FEI ID 10093895/QAT) and trained by Jassim Hilal H Abuhadoud (FEI ID 10030706/QAT), tested positive for the Banned Substances 5α-estrane-3β and 17α-diol, and the Controlled Medication Substance Cobalt, following samples taken at the CEI1*100 in Doha, Mesaieed (QAT) on 12.11.2022.

The athlete and trainer both admitted the rule violation and accepted the consequences. In its final decision the FEI Tribunal disqualified the horse from the event and imposed an 18-month ineligibility period on the athlete and the trainer; the provisional suspension they already served shall be credited against the imposed ineligibility period. They were each also fined CHF 5,000. In addition, the Horse was provisionally suspended for 2 months.

The full Decision for Mohd Jubal Ahmed Sayadur Rahman is available here.

The full Decision for Jassim Hilal H Abuhadoud is available here.

FEI Tribunal issues Final Decision in human anti-doping case

FEI.org

03 October 2023
Author: FEI

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in a human anti-doping case.

A sample taken from the Brazilian athlete Pedro Stefani Marino (FEI ID 10017829) on 5 December 2021 during the CEI3* 160 Punta del Este (URU), returned positive for the Prohibited Substance Carboxy-THC. Carboxy-THC is a metabolite of THC (Cannabis) and is included in the Class “S8 Cannabinoids” of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List 2021. The athlete was notified of the violation of the FEI’s Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA) on 2 February 2022.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal decided to suspend the athlete for a period of two years, starting from the date of the Final Decision (2 October 2023). Additionally, all competitive results of the Athlete obtained at the Event and from the date of the hearing onwards (15 May 2023) were disqualified with all the relevant consequences (forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes, etc.). Any competitive results from the conclusion of the Event up until the date of the hearing remained valid. Finally, the Athlete was imposed a fine of CHF 7,500 and ordered to pay costs of CHF 5,000.

The parties can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the decision.

The full text of the FEI Tribunal’s Final Decision is available here.