Dubai: Some of the best riders and horses will be participating in the Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup, one of the most prominent events of the UAE’s endurance calendar, to be held at the Dubai International Endurance City at Seih Assalam on Saturday, January 7.
The 119-km Emirates Airline-sponsored Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup is the final and the most-prominent race of the Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Festival.
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council, is known for his love of equestrian sports, particularly endurance racing. He has competed in numerous endurance races and has had several notable accomplishments in the sport.
Asian Games gold
After winning his second successive CISM World Military Endurance Championship in March 2014, Sheikh Hamdan was crowned world champion of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Normandy, France, organised by the International Equestrian Federation. He then went on to win the 2015 His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup for the second year in a row. He also won the equestrian gold at the Asian Games in 2006.
The festival reflects Sheikh Hamdan’s commitment to providing UAE citizens with diverse platforms to participate and excel in sports. In addition to his competitive career, Sheikh Hamdan is also a patron of equestrian sports in the UAE and has played a key role in the development of the sport in the region. He has supported the establishment of equestrian centres and training facilities and helped promote the sport at the international level.
Salem Hamad Malhouf Al Ketbi won the previous Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup, which was held unusually at the beginning of the festival due to delays caused by rains last year. Al Ketbi, who holds the World Endurance Championship title, covered the 119km distance in 4:04:09 hours riding Wilomere Anchor for M7 Stables.
