Round I - December 13 - Emirates International Endurance Village
| 1. Abdullah Saeed Bin Huzaim (UAE) (Nucius Romas) | 4:58.10 |
| 2. Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (UAE) (Carallio) | 5:08.34 |
| 3. Ahmad Ali Bin Harmash (UAE) (Aratahnes Legend) | 5:13.06 |
| 4. Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa (Bahrain) (Omsura Nasrohn) | 5:16.51 |
| 5. Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (UAE) (Tazoul Al Parry) | 5:21.39 |
Shaikh Nasser finishes fourth
Bahrain News: 14-12-2008 ROYAL Endurance Team captain Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa finished fourth place overall in the first round of the 120-km Endurance Horseride Grand Prix yesterday at the Emirates International Endurance Village, Al Wathba, in Abu Dhabi, writes RAMI HULAYYEL.Forty six riders from Bahrain and the UAE took part in the first of a three-race series being organised for the first time by the Bahrain Royal Equestrian Endurance Federation (Breef) in co-operation with the UAE Equestrian Federation.
Only 18 riders could finish the race which was divided into five stages - 32 kms, 30 kms, 24 kms, 18 kms and 16 kms.
The hosts dominated the podium yesterday with Abdulla bin Hazim winning the race in four hours, 58 minutes and 10 seconds.
Behind him was UAE's presidential affairs Minister Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan (5:08:34) while compatriot Ahmed bin Harmash (5:13:06) was third.
Riding Omsura Nasrohn, Shaikh Nasser was among five of Bahrain's top riders in this prestigious event which is only open to riders over 75 kgs.
Shaikh Nasser had steered the same horse to victory in the Opening Season Championship held last month,
Shaikh Nasser, the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation president, finished the race in 5:16.51.
Federation's first vice-president and captain of Al Khaldiya Stables Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa had to pull out of the race in the second stage as his horse was exhausted.
The remaining Bahraini riders in the fray were Ghazi Al Dossary (5:33:40) who was eighth overall while both Shaikh Salman bin Saqer Al Khalifa and Abdulhaq Qadoori were unable to complete the race.
Among the leading riders from the UAE were UAE's vice-president, prime minister and Ruler of Dubai Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum who finished fifth overall.
Shaikh Mohammed's son Shaikh Hamdan, who entered the race as one of the leading contenders for the title, had to pull out in the first stage following an injury to his horse.
The event was witnessed by a number of Breef board members headed by Endurance Committee chairman Shaikh Faisal Rashid Al Khalifa.
Khaleej Times - Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan finishes second
James Jose, December 13
ABU DHABI – He watched with glee, his club Al Jazira crush Al Nasr in the UAE Pro-League on Friday night. And on Saturday, Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan rounded off a perfect weekend, by finishing an impressive second in Round 1 of the Giants Endurance Challenge FEI CEI 120km Endurance Ride at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba.
photo: Khaleej Times
Abdullah Saeed bin Huzaim, astride Nucius Romas, won the three-star ride. Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Emirates Racing Authority, astride Carallio, was impressive as he came second.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, rode an impressive ride to finish fifth. Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid, was placed 21st after the first loop before bouncing back in style.
The Giants Challenge is a three-round series with the second ride in Bahrain on January 10, 2009 and the third in Dubai on February 28, 2009.
Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan was placed fourth after the first loop of 32km, with a time of 1:16.45 seconds. He moved up to second in the second loop of 30km, with a timing of 2:28.45 seconds. But he dropped down to seventh in the third loop of 24km, with a time of 3:38.09 seconds.
He remained in seventh in the 18km fourth loop, with a time of 4:31.02 seconds. He finished the fifth loop of 16km in second. He had an overall time of five hours, eight minutes and 34 seconds with an average speed of 25.58. “It was a tough ride. Nevertheless, it was good to get some points in the first round,” Shaikh Mansour said later.
The top 10 placed riders in each of the three rounds will receive points with the rider who accumulates the highest number of points emerging the champion. A bonus of 10 points will be given to the rider who complete the rides on the same horse.
Ahmad Ali Bin Harmash, astride Aratahnes Legend and from the Fazaa Endurance Team, was third with an overall timing of 5:13.06 seconds.
Bahrain News, December 13 - Endurance Team captain Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa finished fourth place overall in the first round of the 120-km Endurance Horseride Grand Prix yesterday at the Emirates International Endurance Village, Al Wathba, in Abu Dhabi, writes RAMI HULAYYEL.
Forty six riders from Bahrain and the UAE took part in the first of a three-race series being organised for the first time by the Bahrain Royal Equestrian Endurance Federation (Breef) in co-operation with the UAE Equestrian Federation. Only 18 riders could finish the race which was divided into five stages - 32 kms, 30 kms, 24 kms, 18 kms and 16 kms.
The hosts dominated the podium yesterday with Abdulla bin Hazim winning the race in four hours, 58 minutes and 10 seconds. Behind him was UAE's presidential affairs Minister Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan (5:08:34) while compatriot Ahmed bin Harmash (5:13:06) was third.
Riding Omsura Nasrohn, Shaikh Nasser was among five of Bahrain's top riders in this prestigious event which is only open to riders over 75 kgs. Shaikh Nasser had steered the same horse to victory in the Opening Season Championship held last month. Shaikh Nasser, the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation president, finished the race in 5:16.51.
Federation's first vice-president and captain of Al Khaldiya Stables Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa had to pull out of the race in the second stage as his horse tired. The remaining Bahraini riders in the fray were Ghazi Al Dossary (5:33:40) who was eighth overall while both Shaikh Salman bin Saqer Al Khalifa and Abdulhaq Qadoori were unable to complete the race.
Leading
Among the leading riders from the UAE were UAE's vice-president, prime minister and Ruler ofDubai Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum who finished fifth overall. Shaikh Mohammed's son Shaikh Hamdan, who entered the race as one of the leading contenders for the title, had to pull out in the first stage following an injury to his horse.
The event was witnessed by a number of Breef board members headed by Endurance Committee chairman Shaikh Faisal Rashid Al Khalifa.
Gulf News - Mohammed, Mansour in top five
By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter, December 13, 2008, 23:45
Abu Dhabi: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, finished in the top five to pick up valuable points in the first of the three-round FEI Three-Star 120-km Giants Endurance Challenge (Body Weight) Ride on Saturday.
Shaikh Mansour, riding Carallio, finished second behind Abdullah Saeed Bin Huzaim on Nucius Romas while Shaikh Mohammad finished fifth on Tazoul Al Parry in yesterday's ride at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba.
Bahrain's Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa finished fourth and the leading riders in this 75kg Body Weight ride will now meet again in Bahrain in the second round on January 10, 2009.
In the National Day Cup ride, Ali Mohammad Al Muhairi drove away with a 4WD car and a slice of the Dh500,000 on offer after finishing first in the Hydra Properties-sponsored event.
Al Muhairi, a consistent performer on the international circuit, did very well to win from Abdullah Khamis Ali Saeed while Sultan Bin Sulayem, winner of the bronze in last month's World Championship in Malaysia, finished third.
In the Giants ride, Bin Huzaim moved into the lead in the third loop and from then on he was always ahead to win but it was Shaikh Mansour who dazzled with a superb finish.
Riding after a long gap, Shaikh Mansour was second after the second loop but his horse Carallio's temperament in the vet gate after the third loop cost him a five-minute penalty. Carallio was presented with a heartbeat rate of 61 beats per minute (maximum allowed is 65bpm) but during the trot-up, he played up and that resulted in a re-presentation after five minutes by which time he calmed down and passed the vet check. But that five minutes set Shaikh Mansour back and in the final loop, he was in seventh position but he moved up five places to finish second.
Muhairi Wins National Day Endurance Race
Khaleej Times, James Jose, 14 December 2008 ABU DHABI — Ali Mohammed Al Muhairi bounced back in style to win the prestigious National Day Cup FEI CEI 120km Endurance Ride at the Emirates Endurance Village in Al Wathba on Saturday.
With this win in one of the most looked forward to event of the Endurance season, Dubai’s Ali Mohammed Al Muhairi also brought the National capital’s domination to a halt. Riders from Abu Dhabi have won all the six Rides of the season so far — three Open Rides and three Junior Rides.
It was a sensational and sweet win for Ali Mohammed Al Muhairi as he was placed 16th after the first loop of 32km. And also, his horse Sudan was vetted out in the Shaikh Rashid bin Hamdan Challenge two weeks ago. It was ridden by his younger brother Ali Thani Mohammed Al Muhairi. Sudan bounced back in style and it augurs well for owner Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Minister of Finance. Muhairi timed four hours, 47 minutes and 54 seconds. Abdullah Khamis Ali Saeed, who was leading until the fourth loop, had to settle for second after his horse Tris Filou, from the Al Reef Stables, was tired to make a dash to the finish. Sultan Ahmad Sultan bin Sulayem, bronze medallist at the World Endurance Championship in Malaysia, was third. Abdullah Khamis Ali Saeed had an overall time of four hours, 52 minutes and 22 seconds, while Sulayem had a timing of five hours and nine seconds.
Briton Alice Beet displayed one of the finest fightbacks of the day. Placed 26th after the first loop, Beet, astride Baraka Kariz , finished an impressive fourth, with an overall time of five hours, four minutes and 31 seconds. Majed Mohammed Salman Al Sabri, astride Meissan Du Loup, was fifth.
“Sudan was in fine shape for this ride. So, I decided to ride myself. The second and third loops were difficult and some good horses were vetted out too. But once I got through those, I consolidated. Saeed’s horse too was tired and I had the opportunity to get ahead,” said Muhairi, who is the racing manager of Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Minister of Finance. Muhairi, who was 16th after the first loop of 32km with a time of 1:14.29 seconds, moved to 13th after the second loop of 30km. Then, he jumped to third in the third loop of 24km. He was second in the fourth loop of 18km and finished first in the fifth loop of 16km. His average speed was 24.80.
Results: National Day Cup: 1. Ali Mohammed Al Muhairi (Sudan) 4 hours, 47 minutes, 54 seconds; 2. Abdullah Khamis Ali Saeed (Tris Filou) 4:52.22; 3. Sultan Ahmad Sultan bin Sulayem (Bebabeloula) 5:00.09; 4. Alice Beet (GBR) (Baraka Kariz) 5:04.31 seconds; 5. Majed Mohammed Salman Al Sabri (Meissan Du Loup) 5:06.37.