Abu Dhabi: Former junior champion Omair Hussain Abdullah Al Bloushi led a 1-2-3 finish in the season's opening ride for champion stables Al Reef in the First Gulf Bank Challenge here yesterday.
Omair, who won four consecutive rides as a junior in Boudhib Endurance Village, made an impressive start when he also opened his account in the senior level last season.
Yesterday, the young rider was again impressive when he partnered Jibbah Enog to victory. While the winning rider and horse's trainer Yousuf Ahmad Al Bloushi hailed Omair as probably one of the best riders in the UAE, it was two wins out of two starts for the 13-year-old grey gelding.
In fact Omair and fellow Al Reef rider Jesus Manuel Berna of Spain on Estaban finished hand-in-hand while Ahmad Hassan Ahmad Al Hammadi on Tora Conrad completed a clean sweep for Al Reef Stables.
Omair and Jibbah Enog completed the 5-stage 120-km ride in 4 hrs 52 mins and 57 seconds recording a high average speed of 24.58 kmph.
"This is the first time on this horse and though it was the first ride of the season the pace was very fast," said the winning rider after receiving his trophy from Edris Al Rafi, General Manager of First Gulf Financial Services.
"Most of our horses have been prepared well and we are ready. However today's speed was on the higher side," said trainer Yousuf.
"We have already won the junior ride in Boudthib and this one today is really fantastic," added Dr Jabber Bittar of Al Reef Stables which belongs to Shaikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Industry, Shaikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, and Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, attended the ride in which 891 riders took part at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba.
