Endurance Returned to Euston Park for the first time since the 2012 World Championships sponsored by Emirates Airline
9 June 2016, Euston Park, UK ~ The 3 star 160km ride on 28 May 2016, attracted 10 riders, the majority from the UAE, two from the UK and a Dutch rider. In the end it was a closely fought finish between the winner Hamad Obaid Rashed Al and Seed Sultan Shames Al Maamri. Both are trained by Ismail Mohammed, as was Sh Hamed Dalmook Al Maktoum who finished almost 30 minutes later.
The emphasis at this event was on Best Condition with the only prize money awarded going to the top five best-conditioned horses in each class. The top ten horses finishing within an hour of the winner were eligible. In the 1star and 2 star class the prize money was awarded £500-400-300-200-100. In the 3 star it was dramatically increased to £5000-4000-3000-2000 & 1000.
The 120km 2 star witnessed 14 leave the start representing France, Belgium UK, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Once again the UAE and trainer Ismail Mohammed topped the honors. It was a galloping finish between the winner, Saif Ahmed Al Mozroui, who had earlier this month won at Windsor, the French rider Cesar Donnais, and the UAE’s Rashed Ahmed Al Bloushi. The drama continued as at the final vetting Donnais’s horse failed to pass the heart rate criteria and Bloushi’s mount was judged unsound, thus promoting another French rider, Alisson Armagnac to second and Fauiz Jamil Al Turkamani from Saudi Arabia into third.
From the two riders who started the YR 120km it was only UK rider Charlotte Chadwick who finished.
The 21 starters in the 80km ride consisted of mainly UK (7) and UAE (6). This was the start of the impressive victories for MRM Stables trainer Ismail Mohammed who has already saddled five winners this season from his Newmarket Thoroughbred racing yard.
Of the 13 who finished in the 1 star 80km six were eligible with the first prize of £500.00 going to the class winner, the Australian-bred gelding Tonki Dee Boo Barry.
In 120km 2 star six finished with three eligible and it was the class winner, another Australian-bred gelding, Splendacrest Adage, that won the £500.00.
The only finisher in the young riders class, Sky’s the Limit, took the £500.00 award.
In the 3star 160km just the first three of the five who finished were eligible. It was the first placed grey gelding Sahem (Ainhoa Aksoum) bred in France by Christine & Jean Marc Valerio that won the top award. The British duo of Harry Ingram and Lorna Kidson may have missed out on the Best Condition awards but both were delighted with the first 160m completion for their horses. Ingram’s Warrens Hill is out of one the UK’s best Anglo race mares in the 1990s Cathy de Boisset, twice winner of the Arab Horse Society Marathon.
A safe endurance ride and the welfare of the horse were the key to the ride with no impediments on this lovely spring day.
Endurance at Euston Park is currently organized by the event management company The HPower Group who were most recently responsible for The Royal Windsor Horse Show and HM The Queens birthday celebrations. The Euston Endurance Event Director is Nicolas Brooks-Ward. His dulcet tones have ‘owned’ the microphone at numerous prestigious equestrian events for over 20 years, most notably at the London Olympics 2012.
~ end report and photos by Gilly