Nashmi receives another pat on the back

Doha: Nashmi, the nine-year-old horse that carried Shaikh Rashid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to an Asian Games gold medal and also helped him complete a double gold-winning act, is one of the favourite endurance horses of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Both Shaikh Mohammad and Shaikh Rashid garlanded the equine star with the gold medal and gave him a much-deserved pat after the memorable win.

"Nashmi (Magic Glenn) was bred by Shaikh Mohammad in Australia and in many ways, you can equate him as the Dubai Millennium of endurance," Esmail Mohammad, trainer of endurance horses for Shaikh Mohammad, said.

"He won the prestigious Best Conditioned Horse award in the 2005 World Championships after carrying Shaikh Mohammad to a silver medal. Last month, he finished first in Jordan and now again he has proved what a fine horse he is," said Mohammad, visibly relieved after the UAE's double success.

"Shaikh Mohammad had told the world he was the best in January last year and he has proved it right," the trainer said. Shaikh Rashid and Nashmi started off in the 9th place after the first loop, then dropped to 12 as they eased off a bit. Nashmi completed the 120-km distance in 5 hrs 45 mins and 49 seconds at an average speed of 20.82 kmph.