More than 30 endurance riders expected

Abu Dhabi: More than 30 endurance riders are expected to take part in the first endurance ride for the current season for women to be held on Friday at the Al Asayel Endurance Village, Sweihan, Abu Dhabi.

Al Asayel Endurance Village in cooperation with the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation is organizing the ride for the third consecutive year in the country. The ride is being sponsored by UAE realtors Hydra Properties, according to a press releasde from the Federation.

The FEI, CEI Three-star ride titled HH Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Challenge, will be run over a distance of 120-kms. The ride, held under the patronage of Dr. Shaikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the UAE Equestrian Federation, will be run in five phases of 30 km, 30 km, 24 km, 20 km and 16 km respectively and will have a mass start at 6.15 am.

Dr. Sulaiman Al Fahim, CEO of Hydra Properties thanked Dr. Shaikh Sultan for allowing Hydra Properties to sponsor the event. While appreciating Shaikh Sultan's efforts in boosting equestrian sports in general and endurance riding in particular, Dr. Fahim said his organization will only be too proud to be associated with any future equestrian event.

"This is the first ride for ladies and some of the big names are taking part. We hope this event will encourage more lady riders to take to equestrian sport which is part of our culture and heritage," he said.

Some of the UAE's top riders will be joined by Maria Alvarez Ponton, the reigning FEI World Champion. Maria won the title after finishing first in the 160-km FEI World Endurance Championship in Terengganu, Malaysia earlier this month. She will be riding Hamlet El Indaio.

Other contenders include Afra Khalifa Al Suwaidi, who was last year's champion, Shamsah Awad Al Otaiba, who finished first in last year's Round 3, Reem Shaban Ibrahim Hasan, Aliya Ali Mohd Yusuf Al Marzouqi, Sara Mohammad Al Jaber Al Marri, Nadia Mansoor Loudouna, Jamila Ahmed, Nouf Mohammed Khamis Al Dhaheri, Bayan Abdullah Abbas Ahmad, Noora Mohammad Mubarak Al Marri, Mahra Yaqoob Yousuf Al Janabi and Martha Mary Mischeff, Brenda Cooke among others.

A prize money of Dh 70,000 has been earmarked for the event with the first-placed rider set to be richer by Dh 30,000 while the second-placed rider will get Dh. 25,000. An amount of Dh 10,000 will be given to the Best Conditioned Horse.