RC: ABU DHABI MILLENIUM CUP

[Leonard.LIESENS@cec.eu.int]

Hi ridecampers,
Hi ridecampers!

I promised to keep you posted about the Millennium Cup Cup. Here is some first
information.

The event is very well organised! The horses were brought from Dubai (Landing
airport) to Abu Dhabi and at the same time, our grooms were brought to the
stables to welcome them. When we arrived at the Abu Dhabi airport there was
someone to welcome us and to take care of the passports; no waiting time; then
we where brought to the hotel. We are all lodging in the Mafraq 4* hotel, in the
desert, at  approx. 20 min driving to the stables.

They are stabled in a quarantine area (same system as in Dubai last year) in the
Al Makba endurance village; this is in fact a new complex, still in construction
near the road Abu Dhabi/Al Ain. It is located near the Palace of HH Sheikh Zayed
(one can see the Sheikh's stables from the village). The camel race track is
just a couple of miles ahead, with plenty of camels in training_ amazing_ they
rode one camel and have 4 of 5 attached and the trained them mostly in the
evening; each camel covered with several blankets.

There are 4 quarantine areas : Europe, North America, Desert Countries,
Autralia/NZ. The VIP areas are on a small hill a few yards ahead and believe it
or not they created a huge hill with hundreds or maybe thousands of trucks
(something looking like the babel tower); approx. 100 meters elevation for
Sheikh Zayed, where they can watch the whole race with a circular view of
certainly 50/60 Kms! 

Something that one couldn't not believe neither : the whole trail has been
groomed and is perfectly flat with a nice footing all the way long! Horse and
human water will be provided on the trail and at the vet, it will probably be
like in Dubai (plenty of water, ice, ventilators, etc_)

Who is there? Tarek Taher(Java), Jack Begaud(Fr - Movoska), Miguel Vila(Eur Ch),
Rossi and Fiorucci(Italy), Cecile Miletto and Denis Pesce  and Stephane
Fleury(Fr), Val Kanavy(US probably with Jedi), Barbara Sa(Pt with a black
horse?), Alexandra Whitewater (FR/USA with Masan stallion), probably 11 OR 12
riders from Qatar/Syria/Jordany, and also 30 or more local UAE riders_ I tell
you more when we will get the official list of entries.

SICO _ no_ he doesn't seem to be there!

Temperature_ around 20 in the morning but get a lot higher in the afternoon
(around 35 in the summer), but a nice breeze to cool down the horses.

It seems that all horses were having no problem with the transport and are quite
well adapting. Don't know for the other horses except european, because access
in others area's is not permitted.

Nice atmosphere between all riders and crew; everyone willing to socialise etc_


Today, on the trail I took my camcorder and this night I will bring some
snapshots to my PC and try to send or post them to an internet site; so stay
tuned!

Voila

Best regards

Leonard, not in Belgium now, but enjoying Arab hospitality in Abu Dhabi

PS : I didn't see yet our keyboard racing champion (you know who I mean, he
signs 'ti' on his emails_), but I will probably on the next days