Hosani and Mira take top honours at Abu Dhabi Endurance Festival

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Al Azm Stables’ Hamid Khalil Al Hosani, aboard Bedouina Christina, was crowned champion of the Sheikh Zayed Bin Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Private Stables race for a distance of 100 km.

The event took place at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba following the opening of the Abu Dhabi Endurance Festival, held under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

Following a plan that suited the course of the race, which came in four stages and witnessed a strong challenge, Hosani managed to cover the total distance of the race in a time of 3:21:04 hours, with an average speed of 29.84 km/h.

Ahmed Saleh Al Shehhi finished in second place on Catch Me Hippolite for Al Kamda Stables, with a total time of 3:21:13 hours, and the Argentinian jockey Diana Jupita on horseback, SMF Junita, which is also for Al Kamda Stables, took third place with a total time of 3:24:09 hours.

The winners were crowned by Musallam Al Ameri, Director General of the Emirates International Endurance Village, in the presence of Mohammed Al Harbi, Director General of the Emirates Arabian Horse Association, Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the Racing Festival of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mohammed Al Hadrami, Supervisor of Races in the Village, Abdul Rahman Al Rumaithi, Village Supervisor, and Abdullah Al Naqbi, Director, Equestrian Federation Media Department.

Meanwhile, Al Bawadi Stables’ Mira Jassim Mohammed Al Ansari, riding Chelsea De Locke, won the Women's Endurance Championship for a distance of 100 km.

Her victory, which is her first this season, came after a strong performance during the race that was highlighted by speed, as Mira kept her position cautiously close to the lead, ready to unleash in the last stages of the race.

Mira managed to cover the total distance of the race in a time of 3:17:34 hours and an average speed of 30.37 km/h, which is considered one of the highest this season.

Sharina Ahmed Al Falasi aboard Serafino took second spot, with a total time of 3:19:01 hours, and the last edition's champion, Afnan Ibrahim, settled for third place.