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Mohammed leads UAE to gold

Shaikh Mohammed successfully led the UAE Endurance team to the team gold medal at the Endurance World Championships in Lexington, Kentucky on Sunday.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, successfully led the UAE Endurance team to the team gold medalat the Endurance World Championships at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky on Sunday. It was a day to remember for the Emirate as Team Dubai reaped a rich harvest of medals.

Spain’s Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton (34), riding Nobby, won the individual gold medal followed by Shaikh Mohammed, riding Ciel Oriental and his son Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, riding SAS Alexis took the silver and bronze individual medals respectively. Ponton finished ahead of Shaikh Mohammed by less than a minute.

Shaikh Mohammed hosted the 1998 World Championships in Dubai and regularly hosts other important endurance races. After the gruelling 100-mile race, he was full of praise for the course which crisscrosses the rolling ‘downs’ of the Kentucky Horse Park and runs over numerous neighbouring farms. “I just took care of my horse. I enjoyed myself very much on this course today,” he said.

Ponton completed the last loop at an average speed of 29.44km per hour. The UAE competitors clocked an average speed of 31.66kph during this loop but failed to grab the gold medal narrowly. Ponton’s averagemtime through the race was 21.07kph.

Heather Reynolds of the US begun the race’s climactic Loop Six in second place, but her mount Ssamiam, could not hold off the UAE charge and ended up fourth. But officials concluded Ssamiam was not fit to continue and eliminated him at the post-finish veterinary examination.

Consequently, France’s Jean-Philippe Frances, riding Hanaba du Bois, moved up to fourth place.

With three riders unable to complete the course due to a variety of reasons, the US team failed to complete the competition. Ponton said: “I especially want to thank Shaikh Mohammed. He’s the person doing the most for this sport in the world. This sport is what it is now because of him. Being a sportsman he is a role model for the younger generation.”

Ponton and Nobby have now won three championships in the last three years — the 2008 Endurance World Championships, the 2009 European Championships.