Lady riders to battle it out at Al Wathba today

The CEN-90km event will be contested over four stages as the young Arab lady riders skirt the sand hills in the heart of the desert under the early rays of the sun to battle it out to the wire in the Dh500,000 prize-money. The winner will also claim the Shaikh Mansour festival’s Rolex watch besides expensive painting made by a German lady in her gallery in Munich.

According to Adnan Sultan, director of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, the race is held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, as part of the Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival.

“The lady riders will be exempted from the CEN * 80km pre-qualification and those who have completed a CEN*40km will be eligible,” he said.

Lara Sawaya, director of the Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Chairman of Ladies Racing Committee in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) has announced the launching of the race during a special press conference at the Eastern Mangroves on Thursday.

“The race is one of the most prestigious races worldwide as regards its financial prize-money and value thanks to the support of Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairperson of the General Women’s Union and of the Family Development Foundation, and her keenness to back the UAE women sports in general and the Emarati ladies in particular to introduce them as effective elements of the society.

“This sports demonstration in which the UAE women take part will eventually contribute to the development of the women sports movement within the country,” Sawaya said.

‘I would like also to thank Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak for their generous support to promote the equestrian sport,” she said.

Regarding the first ever running of the Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies CEIO ** 120k endurance race which was proposed to be held in conjunction with the upcoming fifth World Arabian Horse Racing Conference London 2014, Sawaya said the venue has been shifted from Newbury, UK to Italy.

“Further details will be released shortly. But, for the time being, and for unforeseeable reasons, the race will be held within the FEI 120km World Championship for Young Horses, Garda Endurance Cup at the Garda Lake in Italy on September 28, 2014, under the flag logo of the Shaikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival” she said.

“The festival has also concluded a partnership with the University of Liverpool. A special research entitled ‘Loss of weight’ without extra effort or side effects will be conducted for the jockeys. The logo of the Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan will be also placed at the University,” she confirmed.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia will be represented by two young riders, Aya Khalil from her father’s private stables and Khloud Mukhtar, from the Kingdom Stables of Prince Al Waleed bin Talal.