Al Marri wins HH Sheikh Mansoor Endurance Festival Cup

The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s five day extravaganza came to a successful end at the King’s Forest in Thetford, UK with the UAE’S Abdul Ghanim Al Marri on Ro Al Lisain winning the 100-km HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Festival Cup on Sunday, June 1.

While Al Marri topped the pack of riders competing in the Purebred Arabian endurance horses’ category, the Spanish duo of Alejandro Dachs Izquierdo and Nuria Serrabassa Fabre made it a 1-2 in the category for Purebred Arabian horses that have earlier in their careers races in flat races.

Alejandro on Zen Al Maury and Nuria on Tidjari, two flat-race horses now in endurance, did very well to win the 100-km One Star which was run in four stages of 32kms, 32kms, 20kms and 16kms.

“All three of us in fact did an extra 12kms as we got lost in the forest,” said the 26 year old Alejandro. The winner of the 120-km Catalunya Championship in Barcelona last year, Alejandro is keen to fight and get a place in the strong Spanish national team.

For Al Marri it was his second win in two weeks after winning the 120-km ride in Compiegne on May 25.

“It was a tough ride, we lost our way and rode extra kilometers but it is good to win in the end,” said the 18-year-old star rider from the UAE.

HE Abdul Rahman Ghanim Al Mutaiwee, UAE Ambassador to the United Kingdom, HE Asim Mirza Al Rahma, the UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Poland, HE Sheikha Najla Al Qassimi, HE Saqr Nasser Ahmed Al Raisi, UAE’s Ambassador to Portugal, HE Abdul Aziz Nasser Al Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to Italy, HE Dr. Hessa Abdullah Ahmed Al Otaiba UAE Ambassador to Spain, HE Sulaiman Almazroui, Ambassador of the UAE to Belgium and HE Al Asri Saeed Al Dhaheri, Ambassador of the UAE to Morocco, HE Abdul Rahim Al Awadi from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, ADEC Director General, Abdul Mohsin Al Dossary, Vice President at the General  Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare and Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Chairman of Ladies Racing at the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) gave away the trophies to the two sets of winners.

“It has been a great end to one of the most important week in the calendar of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival. While the three-day World Arabian Horse Racing Conference in London discussed some crucial issues related to Purebred Arabian horses, the two races at Newbury reflected the growth with more nations being represented. And today, this endurance ride open only to Purebred Arabian horses in King’s Forest was also a huge hit,” said Ms Lara Sawaya.

Genny Haynes of the ARO said, “Hosting the conference here in the UK will certainly boost Arabian Racing here and it was a historic event.”

The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR and Emirates Arabian Horse Society, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare with Arabtec Holding PJSC as the Official Partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers and sponsored by Invest AD, Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC),  Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Rashid Investment, Al  Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Al Wathba Centre, the UAE's General Women's Union, the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2014, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Abu Dhabi Sports Channel and Racing Post.

Source: HH SH Mansoor Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival / Satya Narayan
Photo: Cidinha Franzão