Brumbies' first step in endurance career

Abu Dhabi: The bold experiment by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, to try and put to use the Australian wild horses known as Brumbies cleared its first hurdle on Saturday.

Three of the six brumbies which started in Saturday's 44-km qualifier endurance event completed the ride and Ali Mohammad Al Muhairi, the trainer and Racing manager of Shaikh Hamdan termed it as a pleasing start.

Plucked from the Tanami Desert in Western Australia, Shaikh Hamdan got 13 of these wild horses to Dubai to be tried out in the sport of endurance.

The Brumbies, which were being culled as they were considered pests and which were also being sold at $20 per head for pet feed, were soon broken and began training slowly at the Seih Assalam Stables since July.

"There are very green and it is still early days. Three of them did well to complete while the other three went lame which was due to some skin infection in their hooves," said Ali Mohammad Al Muhairi.

"On the trail they were very good and competent. But once in the vet gate they did get affected seeing a lot of people and action there. They need a little more time," he said.

"It was only 44-km and one can't judge them on that. But a couple of them look good and seem to show the attitude to run long distances," said the UAE national team rider and winner of many a ride in the UAE and abroad.

"We will be running a few of them in an 80-km ride in Dubai in a fortnight's time. That will be a big test for them," added Al Muhairi.