Abu Dhabi: Schoolboy Ahmad Mohammad Al Jaber Al Marri surprised even himself when he won the Shaikh Zayed Bin Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup for privately owned horses at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba yesterday.
Riding Shardell Sharna Golden, a horse he randomly picked from the 20 his family owns, he battled through early morning fog to secure the first victory of his career.
Al Marri completed the CEN 100km ride in a time of three hours and 39.58 minutes aboard the 11-year-old chestnut gelding owned by his father Mohammad Obaid Al Jaber. He clocked an an average speed of 27.28km/h for the distance.
"I really did not expect this win. I was only hoping for a top 10 finish," said a delighted Marri who was also presented with the keys of a new car, as the first prize. Marri is in 12th grade at the Al Nadjha School in Abu Dhabi.
Shaikh Zayed Bin Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan presented the trophies to the winners. Also present were Emirates Equestrian Federation secretary general Talib Daher Al Muhairi; Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club director general Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi; and Tasweeq managing director Lara Sawaya.
Results
Top 10 results (Provisional): 1.Ahmad Mohammad Al Jaber Al Marri (Shardell Sharana Golden) 03.39.58; 2.Sayed Mohammad Abbas Alawi (Polonia Endurance) 03.50.09; 3.Ahmad Mohammad Saleh Al Shehhi (Sheridon) 03.5357, 4.Mansour Ibrahim Ahmad (Guru)03:54.07; 5.Matar Saeed Mohammad Al Kaabi (Ghaith)03.55.05, 6. Ahmad Ali Al Sabri (Rayhana) 03.57.50; 7. Layla Abul Aziz Al Redha (Umm Khammas) 04.09.50; 8.Abdullah Bin Ahmad Al Shaikh (AS Elegida) 04:10.7; 9. Hamad Bader Abdullah Al Hammadi (Arabito) 04:12.31; 10. Abdullah Ghanim Al Marri (Meltharina Marzan) 04:12.54
