Dubai: UAE riders dominated for the second day running on Sunday, with Khalifa Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri and Mohammad Al Mazroui winning their respective events in the Italia Endurance Festival in Verona, Italy, to add to Saturday’s gold double by the Emirati ladies.
Fifteen-year-old UAE schoolboy Al Jahouri stunned his seniors when he edged past two other UAE riders in a close finish to win the 126km HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup Open CEI two-star ride.
The Al Ain schoolboy, riding Vendaval, was involved in a close battle with Saeed Al Khayari on Ostro Di Chia and Shaikh Hasher Bin Mohammad Thani Al Maktoum on Cal Colonial in the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival-supported event.
With the narrow pathway amid the fields making it difficult to overtake, Khalifa waited in third place for much of the final stage before he saw a gap when one of the front runners tired and seized that opening to forge ahead and hold off Al Khayari to win by just two seconds.
The 1-2-3 finish in the Open ride was repeated by the UAE’s under-21 riders in the 120km HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup (young and junior riders) two-star ride.
Al Mazroui on Khedji took 6 hrs 11 min 27 sec to win gold ahead of Mohammad Al Muhairi on Fair Plex (6:12.49), while Ali Ganem Al Ali on Shakim was third in 6:12.50.
In the day’s other race, Swede Annelie Eriksson on Penelope Del Ma prevented a UAE clean sweep as she won the 86km HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup one-star ride.
Salem Hamad Al Katbi on Orodemattaepadru and Esmail Mohammad Al Hosani on Boa Queda TB finished second and third respectively, adding two more medals to the UAE haul.
Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, finished fifth in the Open event, while singer Reem Shaban Al Hassan on Siperia finished sixth and also won the best conditioned horse award same race.
Abdul Rahim Al Awadi from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bahrain’s Shura Council member Lulwa Awadhi, Lara Sawaya — Executive Director of the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairman of Ladies Racing at the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) and Honorary President of the Italia Endurance Festival — and representatives of the Italia Endurance Festival gave out the prizes.
Al Awadi hailed the success of the UAE riders and added that the Shaikh Mansour Festival was promoting the sport of undurance racing as well as UAE heritage.
Sawaya said: “The victory of UAE lady riders on Saturday is very significant as it is the first FEI ride for ladies and the team did very well to win the team gold as well as the individual gold and silver.
“And, on Sunday, young Khalifa Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri did the UAE proud as he led a 1-2-3 in the Open ride. The young riders’ event also saw a clean sweep by UAE riders. The performance of the UAE riders is indeed a gift to UAE citizens.
“The team of UAE lady riders will now go to Slovakia next month, when three of them — Afra Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Aya Abdullah Redha and Alia Al Khafajy — will compete in the World Endurance Championship for Young Horses.”
