Belgium’s Goudman wins Kazan race to qualify for Abu Dhabi showdown

HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship race series

Kazan, Tatarstan - Belgium’s Emilie Goudman booked a berth in the November 13 final of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) finale after a superb win in the Kazan leg on Tuesday, August 30.

Riding 4-year-old grey Katrusya, a reserve runner that got into the starting line-up after Amanta, the horse that Goudman was to ride got injured, the Belgian won with much to spare with the other runners way behind.

At one stage, Goudman on Katrusya was leading by over 20 lengths before she eased up and still won comfortably in a time of 1:51.46 in the Euros 20,000 race which was contested over a distance of 1600 metres.

Makfara under Germany’s Melina Ehm and Pasha under Polish apprentice jockey Joanna Balcerska battled hard before finishing second and third respectively at the Kazan International Equestrian Sports Complex.

Ms. Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the Int’l Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) and Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) along with Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club and Sergey Vasilenko - the Director of Kazan International racecourse gave away the trophies to the winning connections.

“It was a great race for me and my horse and she was too good for her rivals. I am very happy and proud to be representing Belgium in the World Championship in Abu Dhabi. I thank the Festival for creating this championship series to help us Apprentice jockeys compete all over the world,” said the 21-year-old Goudman, who was winning her 7th race.

Ms. Lara Sawaya hailed the excellent atmosphere that prevailed at the Kazan racecourse and said, “We are happy to come back and stage this race for the second successive year. We had a Korean, an Italian and a Bahraini Apprentice who have already qualified for this year's final and Belgium’s Goudman now joins that list.”

The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is sustained by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, with National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing Co. LLC as associate sponsors, IPIC as Strategic Partner, The  National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers, in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare  and sponsored by Al Aweer Stables, Ayadii LLC, Global United Veterinary Services LLC, Bloom, Petromal, Rise General Trading Co. LLC, Hayatna, Wathba Stallions, Abu Dhabi Falconers Club, Emirates Falconers Club,  Mohamed Bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Omeir Travels, Dr Nader Saab Switzerland, Laboratories Fadia Karam Cosmetics, YAS Channel, Racing Post, Paris Turf,  Al Wathba Centre, the UAE's General Women's Union, The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2016, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Anantara Eastern Mangroves Spa and Resort.

Source: HH SH Mansoor Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival / Satya Narayan
Photo: Morhaf Al Assaf