HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Endurance Cup gains FEI status

Over 100 riders for Saturday's 120-km event in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi

Over 100 lady riders will start in the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Endurance Cup, a Two-star FEI 120-km event at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi emirate on Saturday, November 26, 2016.

Apart from the Ladies ride, which is officially the first such ladies event in the UAE to earn the FEI’s official tag, an 80-km FEI CEI One-star ride will also be held simultaneously on Saturday.

The rides, being held under the directives of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, are sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) and the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Racing Festival.

Dr. Abdulla Al Rais, Director General of the National Archives, Mr. Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture  Authority, 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), Mr. Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Mr. Ahmed Al Qubaisi- Abu Dhabi Sports Council,  Mr. Ahmed Saeed - Department of Justice, Sports Court (CAS), Mr. Nadeem Lahad representing  Emirates airlines, Ms. Meryam Alkaabi- UAE General Women’s Union, Dr. Stefano Daneri-National Feed Production Company, Mr. Humayun Alam from Al Massoud Motors and Mr. Niyaz Thameen, Omair Bin Yousuf Travels attended and addressed a press conference at Anantara Eastern Mangroves on Thursday, November 24.

Mr. Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi said: “Around 110 lady riders have entered the ride and we expect a strong competition. Out of these 110 riders, over a dozen are from outside the UAE.”

“The top three in the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Endurance Cup will each drive away with a 4WD car. The Ladies ride will get off to a mass start at 6.30 am while the 80-km FEI CEI One-star riders will follow 30 minutes later,” Al Nuaimi said.

Conveying the greetings of Noura Al Suwaidi, Director of the UAE General Women's Union, Ms Lara Sawaya expressed delight over the FEI status for the Ladies ride.

“It is a great honour that this is the first ride to be held under the umbrella of the FEI and after 10 years, our efforts are paying dividends,” she said.

“Even in Europe, the Festival-staged HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak CEIO Ladies ride is the only women’s race that runs under the FEI,” she added.

Under the directives of HH Sheikh Mansoor, the top five finishers in Saturday’s ride will be invited to the HH Sheikh Fatima Bint Mubarak CEIO Cup to be held in Spain next year.

International Rides
“The Festival’s new endurance season begins in Hungary on April 27, 2017. In 2017 the Festival will stage six rides in six different countries and they will be held alongside the major races. The confirmed venues are Hungary, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Belgium,” Ms Sawaya announced.

“Discussions are underway for Australia to be added to the list. Details of the calendar will be announced in January, 2017,” she said.

Dr. Abdulla Al Raisi, Director General of the National Archives, said: “The National Archives has taken horse racing into its fold and all such events will be documented.”

“We will also have a special stand in the name of HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival to showcase her efforts in supporting women in the field of horse racing and equestrian sport,” he said.

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