Abdullah to lead line-up for junior endurance race

Abu Dhabi: Shaikh Abdullah Bin Faisal Al Qasimi, winner of a silver medal with the UAE team in the 2007 World Endurance Championship for juniors, leads a line-up of more than 50 juniors in the Bouthieb Cup for Juniors and Young Riders, which kickstarts the UAE's 2008-09 endurance season.

Apart from Shaikh Abdullah, some of the other promising junior riders taking part are Shaikh Rashid Dalmook Juma Al Maktoum, Shaikh Saqr Bin Faisal Al Qasimi, Munthar Ahmad Al Beloushi, Rashid Ahmad Al Beloushi, Ali Ganem Al Marri, Khalifa Ganem Al Marri and Mara Khalid Ahmad Bin Sulayem.

Today's 100 km ride for juniors will be accompanied by two Qualifier Rides, one over 40km and the other over 80km.

All three rides are being held under the patronage of Shaikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Emirates Heritage Club.

Early start

The Boutheib Endurance Cup for Juniors will get off to a mass start at 6am at the Boutheib Endurance Village in Al Khatem, Abu Dhabi.

The 100km ride will be run in four phases of 30km, 30km, 24km and 16km, respectively.

More than 150 riders are expected to take part in the two Qualifier Rides, events that help them to qualify themselves and their horses for events of bigger stature.