Abu Dhabi: In a rare repeat show, Yousuf Ahmad Al Beloushi finished ahead of Spain's Maria Alvarez Ponton in the Shaikh Maktoum Bin Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Challenge 120-km endurance ride at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Dubai on Saturday.
The defending champion, who had won this ride last year on Cameo Zinniaa, decided to partner Roherty Bold Impression and the 10-year-old Anglo-Arab gelding did extremely well to overtake Maria on Antares Sauveterre on the final loop and help the Al Reef star to finish the endurance season in Dubai the way he started it - on a winning note.
Yousuf had won the first ride here this season and signed off with a victory, his horse taking 4 hours 39 minutes and 41 seconds to complete the 120-km distance yesterday.
"This is a great performance by my horse. He won the first race of the season last year but during the start of this season he was injured.
"However he came back strongly today," said Yousuf, who also achieved another rare record yesterday.
Last season he also won the first and last race at the Dubai International Endurance season and now in the 2007-08 season also he has done the same.
"I feel elated with this record. I won in the Bab Al Shams Cup, which was the first ride here and now again in the last event," said the champion rider and trainer, who won a Nissan Patrol for his effort apart from part of the Dh550,000 prize money.
Results
Top five
- Yousuf Ahmad Al Beloushi (Roherty Bold Impression) 4hrs 39 mins 41 secs;
- Maria Alvarez Ponton -Spain-(Antares Sauveterre) 4:46.02;
- Gerda Petronella Burger-S.Africa-(Georgat) 4:46.31;
- Dahi Abdullah Khamis Al Dahi (Dunwinger Maakhal) 4:52.06;
- Mohammad Ali Al Shafar (Israk Grey) 4:54.32.
