Abu Dhabi: The Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba will sign off its 2012-13 endurance season with a 120km Al Wathba Night Ride on Friday, with a car and Dh450,000 on offer as prizes.
Entrants will get off to a mass start at 5.15pm and the ride will involve four stages of 40km, 40km, 24km and 16km.
“This is the last ride of the 2012-13 season here at Al Wathba and is being held under the instruction and directives of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Shaikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan,” said Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.
“The winner will be rewarded a 4WD car, while the prize fund of Dh450,000 will be distributed among all riders who complete the 120km event. Riders will wear helmets fitted with battery-operated headlights to help them negotiate the course at night,” he added.
Lara Sawaya, Director of the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Head of Ladies Racing at IFAHR, announced that the top three riders would be taken on a trip to Toulouse, France, where the races of the festival will be held between May 4 and 6.
“These invited guests will watch the racing action and also see first hand all the preparations that are being undertaken for the World Arabian Racing Conference, which will be held for the fourth time in June,” she said.
“But more importantly it [Wednesday] will be a red-letter day for the festival as we will be launching the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival Yearbook 2012 during the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2013, which opens at ADNEC.
“The book is the second edition of the first-ever book on any racing series and deals with Purebred Arabian racing and the range of activities undertaken by the festival. This year we intend to ensure the festival’s book will reach many parts of the world and we will be announcing a partnership with a leading publishing house in this regard.
“The festival has put up a unique stall at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and visitors will get a chance to get acquainted with the activities of the festival.”
