Antonio Saldanha on Consentida won the 160-km ride
25 April, 2016, 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, 23 April 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 Conceicao 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 of Presidential Affairs, for bringing this 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 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.
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