Al Mazroui rides 8-year-old chestnut gelding Rakan to win 100km Al Qudra Challenge

Dubai - Speaking to Yas Sports Channel, Shaikh Mohammed added: "This is the standard of organisation that we have been looking for and hopefully the same would continue to develop the sport."

Saif Ahmed Al Mazroui rode Rakan, an 8-year-old chestnut gelding, to a narrow win over Saif Sultan Abdulla Dhahi Al Buamim on Waiata Krystal in the 100km Al Qudra Challenge endurance race held at Al Wathba International Endurance Village, Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who attended the ride along with Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of UAE National Olympic Committee attended the ride and praised the high standard of the event.
Shaikh Mohammed praised the hard work of the Organising Committee of the Wathba Challenge ride and said, "The true winners are the organisers. The organisation was perfect and the technical and medical committees were impartial and fair."
Speaking to Yas Sports Channel, Shaikh Mohammed added: "This is the standard of organisation that we have been looking for and hopefully the same would continue to develop the sport."
"Endurance horse trainers have sent their best horses and this was very natural since the race is big and takes place at the beginning of the season. The competition was very tough," he said.
Regarding the newly introduced rules and regulations, Shaikh Mohammed said they are crucial for the progress of the discipline and any fair regulations would be satisfactory for everybody.
"The horses are only 60 percent ready and not beyond that. We need more races for the horses to show their true potential," he said.
Commenting on one of his star endurance horses, Shaikh Mohammed said, "Ramah needs at least two to three races to reach its best form, but he may take part in the National Day Cup next week in Al Wathba.
It was a second win for the pair as Al Mazroui and Rakan had won a 100-km Abu Dhabi Festival Endurance Ride for Private Owners earlier in March this year at the end of the previous 2014-15 season while the UAE rider had also won the FEI World Championship for Young Horses on Descarado at the Italian Endurance Festival 2015 in Verona in September this year.
In Saturday's ride, sponsored by National Feed And Flour Production And Marketing Co. LLC, the top six riders were all presented with the keys to a brand new 4WD car each.