Alyazia, Alia in 1-2 as four UAE riders finish in top five

Winners Ladies ride

3 July, Sardinia, Italy ~ Lady riders from the UAE did the country proud when four of their riders finished in the top five in the 120-km HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies CEI Two-star Cup, part of the three-day Sardinia Endurance Festival that concluded on Sunday, 2 July 2017, in the Horse Country Resort area in Arborea, Sardinia in Italy.

Alyazia Al Romaithi riding Holoutaria and Alia Al Saboori on Shamberlain finished hand-in-hand in the 120-km.

“It was a tough race and the track was very challenging, but we were able to work our way through and get there,” said a jubilant Al Romaithi after her win. “The most difficult stage was the second loop where there were many turns and I was forced to slow down. Finally, things began to improve and I managed to increase my speed and win.”

Organized by the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festiva, the Sardinia Endurance Festival featured four ride divisions: the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies CEI Two-star Cup, HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup-CEI Two-star ride, a Regional CEI One-star 90 km race and a under-21 years event, and the CEI YJ Two-star 120 km ride.

Italian rider Isabella Bonetto on Ottello finished third to prevent a podium sweep but the next two were again two UAE riders – Nouf Ali on Aranza and Ayesha Al Romaithi on Oregon– thus making it four in the top five for the UAE.

Awards

Alyazia and her horse Holuoutaria, a 10-year-old chestnut mare, covered the 120-km distance in 6:59:30 at an average speed of 17.44kph.

HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup-CEI 2*

In the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup-CEI Two-star ride Carlo Carta astride Franco led a 1-2-3 finish for Italy with Graziano Branca on Legionario and Nicola Bussu on Peonia Di Barbagia following in second and third places respectively. The winning time for this ride was 7:34:23.

Jonel Coetzee of Namibia on Quello Che Vuoi emerged as champion of the Junior Division after winning the CEI YJ Two-star 120 km ride and was the only one to complete the ride.

HE Saqr Nasser Al Raisi, UAE Ambassador to Italy, Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of 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), Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Ahmed Al Qubaisi, Mussallem Alamri, Director of Al Jazira Stables I & II and Riccardo Giachino, Chairman of the Organizing Committee attended the rides and gave away the prizes.

Ms Sawaya said, “This achievement is an honor for all of us. The EAM has been working hard to organize the horses and in training and their efforts have paid off.”

“We will meet again in Brussels on 17-19 August where the UAE girls reappear in the only race which is reserved for teams, the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Mother of the UAE Endurance Cup,” she added.

Riccardo Giachino, Chairman of the Organizing Committee thanked the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival for supporting the Sardinia Endurance Festival and said it was a huge boost for the sport in Italy.

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, 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 Ayadi LLC, Global United Veterinary Services LLC, 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, 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 2017, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Anantara Eastern Mangroves Spa and Resort.

~ end supplied report