Verona, Italy: The UAE ladies team registered a golden double by winning individual gold as well as team gold in the first-ever HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Endurance Cup, a world-class ladies’ competition being held in Europe for the first time.
In Verona in Italy on Saturday, the UAE’s Afra Khalifa Al Suwaidi on Rivergum Drifter took individual gold in the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival-supported event. Her teammate Aya Abdullah Redha on Quersick Niellans took bronze and, along with Alia Al Khafajy on Exclusiva (sixth place), managed to pip Bahrain to the team gold medal.
Ayesha Al Romaithi on TRA Clica finished 18th, while the fifth member of the UAE team, Shathra Al Hajjaj on Eros, was eliminated after the third stage as her horse went lame.
Bahrain’s Shaikha Najla Bint Salman Al Khalifa took the silver medal in the individual event and led Bahrain to team silver in the seven-team competition.
More than 70 lady riders from 15 countries took part in the 120km ride.
