Capital all set for endurance rides

Brand new cars and attractive prize money are on offer during the three days of endurance rides at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba in Abu Dhabi, starting from Friday. The Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup for Private Owned Horses will kick start the actions on Friday. The details of the rides were announced at a press conference held at the Eastern Mangroves Hotel by Adnan Sultan Saif Al Nuaimi, director general of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Federation. “The Private Owned Horses on Friday will be run over 100-kms and so far around 50 have entered for the ride. An amount of Dhs350,000 will be distributed to all riders who finish the race while the winner will get a Nissan car,” said Nuaimi. “The Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Challenge Festival will see over 150 horses compete in the 120 kms Two Star ride on Saturday,” he announced. “The winner will get a car while all those who finish the ride will get a slice of the Dhs 400,000 on offer,” he added. “The third ride to be held on Sunday will be the Giants Endurance Challenge, over a distance of 120 kms and with a total prize money of Dhs 500,000 plus a Bentley car for the winner and two more cars for the second and third-placed riders,” Nuaimi said. Lara Sawaya, director of the Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Head of Ladies Racing in IFAHR said, “on Friday, the venue for the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup for Private Owned Horses will be named ‘Mohammed Football Wathbaland’. “While the horses and riders will be competing on the loops  there will be a few small football courts where around 30 boys in the age group of six to eight years will play football games,” said  Sawaya. “Five of these kids will be selected and will be awarded two Emirates airline tickets for them to be accompanied by an adult each to watch AC Milan, play a game. Source : gulftoday