Abu Dhabi: The UAE's 2008-2009 endurance season gets off to a soft opening today with the Boutheib Endurance Cup for Juniors and two qualifier rides being staged at the Boutheib Endurance Village in Al Khatem, Abu Dhabi.
After today's rides the season takes a pause as the 2008 World Endurance Championship is being held in Malaysia next week.
Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Culture and Arts Authority, are part of the strong six-member UAE team at the World Championship being held in Terengganu, Malaysia on November 7-8.
Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, Mubarak Khalifa Bin Shafya, Abdullah Thani Bin Huzaim and Mohammad Ahmad Ali Subose complete the UAE line-up. A week later, the UAE's endurance season resumes with the first competitive endurance ride in the Open category to be held on November 15 at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba.
Endurance competitions ranging from Qualifier Rides over 40 kilometres and 80km to Open rides over 100km, 120km and the championship distance of 160km and a 240km three-day event make up the UAE's domestic season, which extends up to March 2009.
Venues
The Dubai Endurance City in Seih Assalam in Dubai, the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba, the Boutheib Endurance Village in Al Khatem and the Al Asayel Endurance Village in Sweihan are the four venues where the rides will be held during the season.
Taleb Dhaher Al Muhairi, Secretary General of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation, told Gulf News that the 2008-09 endurance season will live up to the high standard that the country has set as an endurance nation.
"The UAE is the number one nation as far as endurance rides are concerned and most of our FEI rides attract riders from all over the world. Last season we saw a good increase in the number of new horses, riders and trainers and this augurs well for the future of the sport in the UAE," said Al Muhairi
"Almost every year there is either a world championship or a continental championship like the European Open. So most of the top riders bring their horses here to compete against the strong base of UAE riders. Our rides also help them to qualify themselves and their horses for major championships," he said.
"Technically we stage some of the best rides with top FEI-approved officials organising them. Our own technical cadres have set high standard and they are constantly invited to officiate in international rides," he added.
"Last season we saw some very high speeds and the UAE riders have pushed the sport to a new level. I am confident that we will see another land-mark season and the UAE riders coming out on top."
