The UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation is sending a group of five endurance riders to take part in the FEI European Open Championship for Junior and Young Riders to be held on September 16, 2006, at Zabreh Na Morave in Czech Republic. The riders are Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Sheikh Abdullah bin Faisal Al Qassimi, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Faisal Al Qassimi, Omair Hussain Abdullah Al Bloushi and Layla Abdul Aziz Al Redha.

Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan Al Nahyan

The Czech Endurance Association has also invited Mr. Vijay Moorthy, Head of Endurance Department at the Federation and Mr. Mohammed Essa Al Adhad, Steward, to be members of the Ground Jury and Dr. Surendra Babu from Emirates International Endurance Riding, Dubai, to be a member of the Veterinary Commission.

Hussein Mohammed Hussein, Secretary General, UAE Equestrian Federation, who will also be traveling to the Czech Republic hoped that the UAE riders will bring in ore laurels this time too. "We are very pleased to send five riders for this prestigious FEI event in Czech city. Youngsters hold the future of this sport throughout the world and with several countries participating in this event, it wil also give more exposure to the UAE riders."

Layla Abdul Aziz Al Redha

The 120-km ride, which will begin on the scheduled day at 6 am, will be run in five phases of 33 km, 26 km, 26 km, 24 km and 11 km respectively.

Sheikh Khalid, who has been a consistent rider, finished first in three rides this year including 130-km HE King's Cup Championship in Bahrain in April, 161-km CEI, three-star ride in Belgium in May and Central European Cup in Rudersdorf, Austria in June.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Faisal finished second in the Al Reef Challenge and Al Wathba Challenge and finished third in the Abu Dhabi Endurance Cup for Junior and Young Riders, which were all held this year.

Sheikh Abdul Aziz finished second in the Dubai Endurance City Ride which was held in March this year in Dubai.

Omair Hussein, who competed in five rides this year finished in the second place in four of them including Bahrain Cup and Al Reef Challenge and finished third in one ride.

Layla competed in seven rides this year in the UAE and finished second in three rides.

Special emphasis is being laid on the Pure-bred Arabian horses during the endurance championship with two separate days being allocated for programmes entitled "Arabian Horses Under Saddle" and "Pure-bred Arabian Horse Show- Breeding Classes."

French-bred horse Daffah, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Presidential Affairs, won the prestigious The President of the UAE Challenge Derby (Group III) races held at Duindigt Racecourse in Holland on Sunday, September 10, 2006. The event, sponsored by the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation, had a field of 13 Pure-bred Arabian horses.

Daffah, trained by Richard Litt, was ridden to a stupendous victory by jockey Olivier Trigodet. Daffah broke alertly, and was allowed to settle and track leaders into the first turn. Daffah was comfortably raced off the lead down the backstretch. Approaching the far turn, Jockey Olivier Trigodet moved Daffah closer to the leaders and waited patiently as the field turned for home. In kid-stretch, Daffah assumed the lead and was driven clear in the latter stages to win by 1 1/4 length in a good time of 2:15:30 on a pleasant and breezy day.

Daffah, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
UAE Minister of Presidential Affairs, winning The President of the UAE Challenge Derby (Group III) races held at Duindigt Racecourse
in Holland on Sunday

The race, run over a distance of 2,000 metres, was delayed at start after French-bred Mallinky broke loose behind the starting stalls and ran off. The Stewards withdrew the horse and he therefore did not compete.

UAE Non-Stop, ridden by Frabice Billieres and trained by Jean-Pierre Totain, put up a good display to clinch the first place in the 1,800-metre Abu Dhabi Championship which fielded 13 runners.

UAE Non-Stop was raced on the outside in mid-field for the first half mile. The horse moved up to track leaders 600 metres for the finish while still on the outside of the field. At the top of the stretch the horse challenged the early leaders, lead 400m and was driven hard to the finish. And eventually won the race by half length.

Olivier Trigodet, jockey for Sheikh Mansour, while commenting on Daffah's performance noted: "He was very good today, he relaxed throughout the race and ran on quite smoothly when I asked him to."

Mr. Wieger. J. de Ruiter, Chairman, Dutch Arabian Racing Club, DARC said: "The sponsorship of races by the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation has supported Arabian racing in Holland tremendously. In 10 years the quality of the horses and the races has improved greatly. I think many Dutch horses will race in the UAE President's Cup race in Baden Baden, Germany next month. The races are very well organised every year".

Ms. Karen Van Der Bos, one of the top trainers of Pure-bred Arabian horses in Europe, commented: "The pedigrees and the Arab horses in Holland are much stronger now. Thanks to the support of the UAE Equestrian Federation, trainers look forward to running their horses in the President's Cup Series throughout Europe because the races only attract the best horses for the top prize money."

The UAE President's Challenge will be held in Moscow and Newmarket later this month and culminate in Baden Baden in Germany next month.

Two Group III races will be held as part of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation's The President of the United Arab Emirates Prize for Pure-bred Arabian horses at Duindigt, Holland, on Sunday, September 10, 2006.

Fourteen horses are in fray for the coveted The President of the UAE Challenge Derby which will be run over a distance of 2000 metres. The race, featuring Pure-bred Arabian horses aged four, will be the seventh race on a day of many exciting races. It carries a cash prize of €10,000. The horses in the field include Biazhar, Coco, Daffah, Gonkong, Grace T, Gramasne, Malinky, Mistral del Sol, Nokaut, Onaida D.A., Pribot, Rhada du Paon, Skan Skan and Swarovski Ruskoff.

The Abu Dhabi Championship, which will be the fourth race of the day has also attracted 14 horses, aged three, including A L'Ombre del Sol, Assour Vege, Bachi Bouzouk,Bareur Kossack, Ezperance, Froda D.A, Grandeur T, Kahina, Marvin El Samawi, Paraclet, Schcira, Solo D.A, Somra and UAE Non Stop. This race will be run over a distance of 1,800 metres and offers a prize money of €10,000.

The UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation has been organizing races for the Pure-bred Arabian horses for over a decade now with an aim to enhance the status of these horses not only in the UAE but also all over the globe. Constant guidance and support also comes from His Excellency Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chairman of the UAE Racing Federation, who paved the way for the success of the Pure-bred Arabian horses.

Hussein Mohammad Hussein, Secretary General of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation, has commended the support from all the international racing organizations and clubs who have given ample support to the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation, to make the annual Championships a success. "Words cannot express my gratitude to the organizations from several racing centres in Europe, US and other countries who have put in their might to make our endeavour a success. We would not have been able to achieve such a great success but for the support from these genuine people who understood our love and attachment for the Pure-bred Arabian horses."

The Duindigt races are part of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation's series of races for Pure-bred horses in major European racing venues and North America.

This year the races have already been successfully run in Newmarket, UK, Deauville, France, Ostend, Belgium, Delaware Park, Philadelphia, US and from Holland will move over to Moscow, Newmarket and Baden Baden, Germany.