Pinol tops in 120-km event held in Portugal

Three endurance rides held under the umbrella of HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival

Fronteira, Portugal - Laia Soria Pinol riding Kz Magica won the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival-sponsored 120-km National Championship ride of Portugal held in Fronteira on Saturday, April 23, 2016.

Pinol finished the 120-km ride, run in five stages, ahead of Marisa Bote Chamorro on Tirante with Maite Melgusa Minguez on Harrison in third place.

Pinol completed the five-stage ride in 6 hours 24 minutes and 01 seconds at an average speed of 18.74 kms while Chamorro on Tirante did the 120-km distance in 6:32.49.

Two other rides were held on Saturday with Antonio Saldanha on Consentida winning the 160-km ride in a time of 9 hrs 08 minutes and 45 seconds. Maria Gomes Oliveira on Diva finished second and Ana Barbas on E Da Fuica came third.

Luis Jorge Conceição on Jerges 50 won the 80 km ride in a time of 4 hours and 40 seconds.

All three rides were part of the National Championship of Portugal and were supported by the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival.

HE Saqr Nasser Ahmed Al Raisi, UAE Ambassador to Italy, HE Saleh Ahmed Al Hemairi, Charge D'affaires at the UAE Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal, Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club and Ms Lara Sawaya ,  Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA)  and Chairperson  of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities and other Portuguese equestrian officials attended the prize distribution.

“We are thankful to HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister ofPresidential Affairs, for bringing these popular Festival events to Portugal. Endurance is a strong sport in Portugal like in the UAE and the two countries enjoy strong ties,” HE Al Hemairi said.

The Italian envoy Al Raisi said: “Rome is getting ready for next month’s World Arabian Horse racing Conference which is one of the premier events of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival. We are very excited and proud to be hosting this annual conference which concerns the Purebred Arabian horse.”

Ms Sawaya said: “We are in a midst of a very busy period for the Festival. We are taking part in the Arab Travel Market in Dubai and the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in Abu Dhabi, both happening this week. Next week we are back in Europe for an endurance event in Hungary. Then we also are in full preparation for the World Arabian Horse racing Conference to be held in Italy next month.”

“The rides here in Fronteira were of a very high standard and we are now looking forward to the next endurance event in Hungary next week,” she added.

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 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