Bou Theib Endurance Village Organizing Committee:Mohd Saif Al Neyadi, Head of Board of DirectorsGeneral Manager, Emirates Heritage Club Mr. Sultan Abdulla Al Marzouqi, Secretary General, UAE Equestrian & Racing Federation Members Mr. Tareq Al Hosani, Dr. Abdul Aleem Aboud, Mr. Rashed Al Kiyoumi, Mr. Majed Al Kiyoumi, Mr. Salem Al Ghaiti, Mr. Adnan Al Hosani, Mr. Ahmad Al Rumaithi, Mr. Rashed Al Rumaithi, Mr. Mohamed Al Marzooqi, Mr. Hanafy Gayel, Mr. Saeed Al Rumaithi, Mr. Saif Al Mazroui, Dr. Anas Salah, Mr. Sulaiman Mohammad
Ground Jury
Presidente: Mr. Albert Dollinger (SUI)
The United Arab Emirates link with horses date back to nearly six million years. Throughout this period, horses have always been a focal point of Arab culture but the beauty of this deeply-rooted story is the smooth adaptation of this traditional habit into the modern equestrian fraternity. The foundation for the gigantic steps taken by present-day equestrian activities in the UAE was laid under the directives of the Rulers of different emirates in the United Arab Emirates who firmly believed that today’s youth should be in touch with their ancestral past and the fact that equestrian activities have been passed on from father to son since centuries, has given this sport the maximum attention. These same ideals are currently being pursued by UAE President HH Sh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who have ensured the development of the equestrian sports through their keen interest and involvement. With His Excellency Sh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation, directly supervising the equestrian activities in the UAE and also promoting the sport in other parts of the world, the sport gets abundant boost. Equestrian activities in the UAE are multi-faceted. The events are held throughout the year with some of the events easily among the biggest and the best in the world. Broadly, the various equestrian activities are flat racing, endurance riding, show, jumping, polo, dressage and eventing, the last two being still in their infancy in the country. While pursuing all these equestrian activities, the UAE gives top priority to the welfare of the horse. Having been companions of the proud Arab since time immemorial, these noble creatures are treated like family members and the country can boast of one of the best equine-care-services in the world. The first modern desert endurance ride took place in the UAE, a sport loving country, on January 7, 1993. Camels competed against horses in the dunes of Dubai and horses took the first 15 places. There are three self-sufficient ultra-modern endurance centers or villages in the country, which are comparable to the best anywhere in the world, and several riding clubs and equestrian establishments. Dubai International Endurance City, Seih Assalem, Dubai; Emirates International Endurance Village and Bou Theib Endurance Village, both in Abu Dhabi, are the common endurance riding centres in the country. Endurance riding has captured the top position in the equestrian sports held in the United Arab Emirate. Many Members from the Royal families of the country and Their Highnesses and Rulers of different Emirates regularly take part in endurance competitions alongside large numbers of UAE nationals and resident foreign riders and visiting riders from abroad. All endurance rides are electronically monitored ad receive comprehensive media coverage. The United Arab Emirates is working closely with several others in globally developing Endurance. In 1998, for the first time the UAE hosted the World Endurance Championship and the record number of participants in this competition gained the country an entry into the Guinness World Records as the organizer of the Biggest Equestrian World Endurance Championship 1998. The country hosted the second World Endurance Championship in 2005 which again attracted a record number of participants. During the 2006-2007 season, the UAE staged 24 FEI competitions, two National rides and 25 Qualifying rides. The season also witnessed several firsts including the three-day Ladies Endurance Championship and rides for smaller stables. One of the most eagerly awaited events of the year, organized by the UAE Equestrian Federation is the His Highness The President of The UAE Prize for Pure-bred Arabian. This flat-racing event, exclusively featuring Pure-bred Arabian Horses, is held every year in several major European capitals and the US from June to November. The idea behind these races is to boost the status of this noble breed of horses which were earlier dismissed off as not fit for flat-racing. Bou Theib Endurance Village, A School for the Future Riders The Bou Theib Endurance Village, situated in Al Khatem, near Abu Dhabi, is the second endurance village in the state capital and the third in the UAE. It was commissioned in 2004 and the inaugural ride in April was a highly successful ride for the junior riders. The other two venues include Dubai International Endurance City, Seih Assalem, Dubai and Emirates International Endurance Village, Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi. Ever since its inception, the Bou Theib Endurance Village has witnessed several achievements. Its success lies in the fact that several endurance rides have been held in the venue along with equestrian festivals and also the highly functional endurance school. Not only is the Bou Theib Endurance Village one of the best training centres for preparing riders, it also gets the best riders from all over the globe who come to the Village to participate in the rides. The Village has been a centre of attraction and has organizes successfully many endurance rides in cooperation with the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation. From the day the doors of the Village opened, it has hosted over 15 major international endurance rides and several Qualification rides. The 100-km Al Ain Endurance Cup for UAE riders is being held to mark the 36th National Day celebrations. The Village organizes such rides to mark special occasions to show its support to the initiatives launched by late HH Sh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan which are currently being pursued by President HH Sh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Supreme Council members and Rulers of other Emirates. Bou Theib Endurance Village comes under the wings of the Emirates Heritage Club which was established in 1993 under instructions of HH Sh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. In June 1997 Emirates Heritage Club was made an independent authority belonging to Abu Dhabi Government to be headed by Deputy Prime Minister Sh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Emirates Heritage Club aims to educate the new generations the heritage of their forefathers through developing the traditional activities, carrying out the studies and research works, spreading the cultural awareness among the people of the United Arab Emirates, and also to deepen the national feeling towards their country’s culture. In this regard, the club carries out several activities through its various departments and branches. This comes as a result of the encouragement showered by HH SH Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Though the Village is almost similar to the other two endurance venues in the country, the exciting part of this Village is that the route takes the riders through forest area and provides variety and colour. The Village is backed by the best administration, technical team and has a strong supporting team including vets, trainer etc. The Village was constructed keeping in mind the welfare of the horses. As such trotting lanes, veterinary clinics, quarantine are all equipped with the latest state-of-the-art equipment which can compete with any international endurance sites. Currently the Village has 10 air-conditioned stables, with each one of them accommodating ten horses. Special stables have also been built to house the participating horses. The Village has four veterinary gates with most advanced equipment for time keeping, camera, television which will all ensure absolute accuracy. The Village also has a hotel with 72 single and double bedrooms. This hotel hosts not only the participating riders but also students who attend some special courses in the Village. After successful festival last year, the Village is hosting the Endurance Festival this season too which will be held from January 3-5, 2008. The 240 km Sh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup will be run for three days with the riders covering 80 km each day. The Festival will also host two other 120 km endurance rides apart from two qualification rides. The Academic wing of the Village organizes several equestrian related courses for junior riders. Some of the successful students have already taken part in international competitions. Emphasis is laid equally on theoretical and practical sessions under the supervision of experience people from the equestrian discipline. And under the directives of HH Sh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the courses offered are free charge. Riders also receive lessons in dealing with horses and the welfare. They also get good lessons on how to handle the horses under difficult circumstances including stress, anxiety and ijuries. Sh Sultan bin Zayed’s main intention is providing these facilities to the youngsters are to help them understand the culture, heritage and the history of the country. The Village is situated about 60 km from Abu Dhabi on the highway to Al Ain. It is near the Shooting Range with Zayed Military City Road on one side and the other area ending near the Seih Al Shuaib Road. Though the Bou Theib Endurance Village will host many major rides, they would like to lay emphasis more on training young riders. Endurance Festival begins on ThursdayA three-day Endurance Festival, HH Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan International Festival for Endurance, being organized by the Bou Theib Endurance Village, in cooperation with the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation, will be held from January 3-5, 2008 at the Bou Theib Endurance Village. The festival is being organized under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Emirates Heritage Club, which oversees the activities of the Bou Theib Endurance Village.The Festival, for the second consecutive year, is featuring a 240-km endurance ride which will be stretched over three days with each day featuring an 80-km ride. As many as 80 riders are likely to take part in this three-day grueling test of endurance. Last year as many 39 riders had participated in this featured event and 14 of the riders completed the test successfully. Sheikh Hazza bin Sultan Al Nahyan partnered ZT Faraventure won this prestigious event last year. The 240-km ride will be run in three phases each day at 30 km, 30 km and 20 km respectively covering each phase. part of the Festival will be the 120-km Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup for Privately Owned Horses which will be held on Thursday, January 3, 2008. Thirty-eight riders are likely to have a mass start in the morning at 6.30 am. Maktoum Nawab Nouh Al Baloushi, riding Chupacabra finished in the first place last year. The ride will be run in five phases of 30 km, 30 km, 24 km, 20 km and 16 km respectively and will start at 6.30 am. Another important ride of the Festival will be the FEI CEI***r 120 km Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nayhan Endurance Cup for Juniors and Young Riders, which will be staged on Friday, January 4, 2008, at the same venue. Forty-five youngsters have confirmed their participation in this ride. In 2007, this ride was won by Rashed Saeed Al Kamda who was riding French Ally. On the sidelines of the festival, two Federation Qualifiers of 40 km and 80 km respectively will be held on January 5, 2008. The three-day festival is likely to attract a large number of fans and lots of prizes will be given away not only for the winners but also for the raffle ticket winners. |
Imagesby Cidinha Franzao
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