Mendez, Goldstream shine on opening day of Sheikh Mohammed Endurance Festival

Dubai: The 19th His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Festival got under way at Dubai International Endurance City in Seih Al Salam on Tuesday, with M7 Endurance Stables rider Milena Mendez dominating the meeting’s opening event, the His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ride for Ladies.

Argentina’s Mendez is no stranger to the sands of the UAE and her experience in the saddle of Goldstream (trained by Mohammed Ahmad Al Subosi) showed as the pair overcame an early deficit to stamp their authority on the 120km four-loop ride.

Mendez and Goldstream registered an average speed of 27.51kph to clock the best time of four hours 21 minutes and 45 seconds (4:21:45) and win with over three minutes and four seconds to spare from second placed M7 teammate and Emirati rider Shamma Darwish Alshihi, who rode SW Ikran (4:24.49). Finishing third was Sara Mohammed who rode ABH Endurance Stables’ Rushoz Lieutenant in 4:25:11.

Mendez finished with the eighth best time at the end of the first loop spanning 40 kms, a stage that saw Maryam Ahmad Al Tamimi seize the initiative on the back of Zabeel Stables’ Castlebar Shindagha. Al Tamimi and her mount lost ground, slipping one spot on the leaderboard to second as Mendez and Goldstream snatched the summit and stayed rooted throughout giving the rest of the competition no chance as they kept moving further away to finish well ahead.

Mendez’s teammate Alshihi and her partner SW Ikran did well to finish second after finding themselves 28th at the end of the first loop. They moved up five spots during the second loop spanning 35km and were up to ninth at the end of the third loop over 25km. Alshihi revved her mount further to eventually take second place on the podium.

Third-placed pair Sara and Rushoz Lieutenant started at sixth, dropped to 13th and moved up to seventh before settling for the final podium spot.

Mirwais Azizi, Founder and Chairman of Azizi Group, presented the winners with their silverware in the presence of Ahmed Rashed Al Kaabi, the General Manager of Dubai Equestrian Club, and Dr Ghanem Al Hajri, Secretary General of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation.

The five-day His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Festival is organised by Dubai Equestrian Club and comprises a further three rides with the Private Stables competition (120km) hosted on Wednesday, followed by the Gamilati Endurance Cup for Mares on Thursday. The festival concludes with the showpiece His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup, a 160km competition, on Thursday.