F3 Stables’ Mehairi makes history at inaugural Endurance Breeders’ Cup

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended the inaugural edition of the Endurance Breeders’ Cup.

F3 Stables riders Rashed Khamis Al Mehairi and Mansoor Al Shedi clinched the top two spots on the podium in the first-ever Endurance Breeders’ Cup held at the Dubai International Endurance City on Saturday.

Sheikh Mohammed congratulated Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and F3 Stables patron, for his leadership which ensured a brilliant history-making effort for the operation.

Mehairi was a picture of consistency aboard Lady Dana 16, a nine-year-old Crossbred mare. The pair began the 101km ride with the seventh-fastest time, but progressed up the rung gradually over the next three loops to win ahead of their F3 Stables team-mates Al Shedi and Nil Azzura 16, who led at the end of the first stage.

In a bid to ride within set heart rate parameters, Al Shedi was forced to step off the gas during the second and third loops and lost control of the leaderboard. However, he did well over the fourth and final loop to climb up to second from seventh.

On the other hand, Mehairi went from seventh, to sixth and made his bid for glory from fifth at the end of the penultimate loop. M7 Endurance Stables’ Ahmad Ezzadin Al Bastaki (Dolphina) were at the summit going into the final loop, but had to be content with eventually settling for podium’s final spot as the F3 Stables pair stormed past them on the timers.

At the end, Mehairi and Al Shedi were separated by a second, the former’s winning time 3:36:43 at an average speed of 27.96kph a shade better.

Al Shedi and his mount were timed at 3:36:44 despite registering the same average speed of 27.96kph, while third-placed Al Bastaki was clocked at 3:37:02. “I am delighted for the win in this race as I expected this from Lady Dana 16 and how she had performed at Al Wathba. Thankfully, we were rewarded with a win today,” commented the winner Mehairi.

A total of 119 rider-horse pairings set out in the wee hours of Saturday morning with cool temperatures providing for excellent riding. However, only 55 rider horse pairs were deemed to have completed the ride, 46 per cent in all, while 54 per cent of the participants, or 64 pairings, were eliminated on various grounds.

The first loop encompassed 35km, while the second spanned 25km. Riders had to ride 21kms over the third loop and the dash for the finish or the final loop was engaged over a 20km section.

The season at Dubai International Endurance City includes a series of top rides with its world-renowned HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Festival (February 18-22, 2025) and the Crown Prince of Dubai Endurance Festival (January 7-11, 2025), the two showpiece events on its calendar.