|
HH
Sheikha Fatima bint Mansour
Endurance ride for ladies on Jan 23 |
HE Sheikha Fatima bint Mansour Al Nahyan Ladies Endurance
Challenge, a ride exclusively featuring lady endurance riders
from the UAE and outside, will be held for the first time on
Friday, January 23, 2009, at the Emirates International
Endurance Village, EIEV, Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi.
The CEN 90-km ride is organized by the Organising Committee of the EIEV
in co-operation with the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation.
The ride is not only open to all lady endurance riders having
a valid endurance riding license issued by the UAE Equestrian
Federation but also for any non-resident foreign riders
nominated by their respective National Federations.
This is the first time an endurance ride exclusively featuring
lady riders is being held at Al Wathba, thanks to the keen
support for such events from His Excellency Sheikh Mansour bin
Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister for Presidential Affairs and
Chairman of EIEV. HE Sheikh Mansour, an ardent rider himself,
provides substantial boost to equestrianis activities in the
country. In fact he was the architect behind a long-distance
horse race for persons with special needs which was held at
the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba in
February last year, which featured 13 people with special
needs. The ride, held for the first time ever in the region,
was organised by the Zayed Higher Organisation for
Humanitarian Care, Special Needs and Minors' Affairs.
Taleb Dhaher Al Muhairi, Secretary General, UAE Equestrian and
Racing Federation, stated: "We expect a very keen competition
from the ladies for the championship. Endurance riding is a
reflection of our country's deep-rooted history and tradition
and love for the horses. If highly successful, this will be an
annual event henceforth. We like to thank HE Sheikh Mansour
for supporting this event".
One of the outstanding features of the Emirates International
Endurance Village is its uniqueness in terms of architecture
and the facilities. Endurance riders from different parts of
the globe stand amazed at the marvel of this Village which is
a unique blend of new and the old. The Village is built in
such a way that it reflects a healthy harmony between heritage
and modern age. The superb design of the Village reflects a
combination of Islamic and Arabic architecture. The Village
has to its credit the most advanced equipment, highly trained
staff at the veterinary section and computerised time-keeping
and latest and modern state-of-the-art equipment to monitor
welfare of the horses.
The Endurance Village currently has 90 stables and 50 points
to check the horses inside the vet gates which makes the
veterinary procedure easier and faster. As is well known, the
most important consideration in endurance is the welfare of
the horse. Over the last few years the veterinary bodies to
maintain the welfare of the horses have introduced closer
scrutiny and stringent penalties.
Also keeping in mind the safety precautions, a mobile health
centre unit is very active in the village in order to handle
any eventualities. The mobile centre can move from one place
to another at rapid speed and attend to minor or major
mishaps, if at all there are any such incidents. The mobile
health centre is of utmost importance because of the high
standard of stables maintained by the Endurance Village. Since
top class horses are competing, it is only but necessary to
have such health centres for therapeutic treatment.
Two kinds of stables are found in the Village one for the
horses based in the UAE and the other one for horses from
outside the Emirates bearing in mind international
requirements and quarantine procedures.
The Village has a well-studied design, which keeps in mind
factors such as protection to the horses and riders. Enough
care is being taken to avoid any possible mishap during the
rides involving vehicles, crews or even riders and horses. The
pathways have been specifically designed in such a way that
the traffic flows out easily in all the sensitive areas and
allotted/specified vehicles can move around freely in these
areas allowing them clear view of what is happening at the
ride venue. The distance between the riders and the vehicles
is comfortably far, yet providing a clear view of the riders
and the horses.
Other features include electronic pulse monitors, which help
in reading the pulse rate of the horses instantaneously.
Gigantic television screens are erected at vantage points in
the village to get a closer view of the progress on the trail.
All the passages are being designed very carefully to make the
movement of the horses easy and safe and away from any remote
chances of accidents. |
|
