September 6, 2013, Abu Dhabi ~ The fourth day of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition delivered more in the way of exhibits and entertainment and included a Saluki Dog Beauty Contest, Birds of Prey Show, and a Camel auction.
At a press conference held earlier in the day, the details of the 2013 FEI La Garda Endurance Championship for Young Horses was top on the list. Lara Sawaya, Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Head of International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) Ladies Racing announced that the Championship will be held for the first time in Italy, taking place on September 28 along the scenic shore of Lake Garda.
La Garda Endurance representative Diego Albiero was there to introduce the ride. He said, “We believe the weather, elevation and terrain are ideal for this race. La Garda lake terrain will be technical but flat and the weather should be quite good.”
“The race is open to horses of seven years of age and will be a 120km FEI race,” according to John Robertson, FEI Endurance Technical committee member.
“The venue is chosen specifically for for young horses and will not overtax them,” he specified.
“We are happy to now have endurance racing added to the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian flat racing schedule,” said Sawaya. “We started with the May 160km CEIO 3* Nation’s Cup in Compiegne, France. We were recently (July 27, 2013) the official sponsor of the Tarbes, France, FEI World Endurance Championship for Juniors and Young Riders, and next is the La Garda Young Horse Championship taking place on September 28.”
Sawaya added that in 2014, a fourth race will join the sponsorship, the CEI Portuguese National Endurance Championship Open, to be held April 25-27, 2014.
Rui Amante, Portuguese Technical Delegate, detailed that the 2014 Portuguese Championship would be held at the Portuguese National Stud at Coudelaria Alter do Chão and would include 160, 120, and 80km races in an the area with very good conditions.
Sawaya added said that the first Wathba Stud Farm Cup Arabian race to be held in Portugal will also be slated for April 2014.
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