Abu Dhabi: Twelve months after winning the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Endurance Cup the 11-year-old bay Moreno repeated the feat at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Last year Moreno carried Argentina’s Catalina to victory in the race and this year it was the turn of another Argentinian rider, Milena Mendez, to team up with the talented horse to triumph in the 100km CEN ride over four stages.
Earlier in the morning, 95 women riders started in the race which was held under the patronage of the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Racing Festival.
The ride was attended by Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Shaikh Zayed Bin Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan and several dignitaries and officials.
Milena, who was 5th at the end of the first 40km moved into second place in the second stage of 25km before she dropped to third in the third stage of 19km.
Entering the final loop she started 14 seconds behind Poland’s Kamila Anita Kart on Othentik Du Fausset and fellow Argentine Sabrina Mendiz on El Pangue Beisk, but her past connection with her horse brought out the best in the final 16km loop.
Milena and Moreno had won the 100km HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Ladies Endurance Cup earlier this year and their partnership worked again as the rider registered her second win and the horse, his fourth win in the UAE.
The victory was by a narrow margin as the first two horses were separated by just 30 seconds with the winner completing the 100km distance in 3 hours 38 minutes 2 seconds.
The UAE’s Mariam Jasim Al Ansaari on Horr Ibn Jahir was second with Kamila Anita Kart on Othentik Du Fausset third. Argentina’s Maria Julia Sciaroni on Sugarsop De Sallaz and the UAE’s Sara Mohammad Al Jaber on Highland View Dolly finished fourth and fifth respectively and all five top riders were awarded a 4WD car each.
“This is my second win and both were ladies rides with the same horse Moreno,” said the winner, adding that the track was tough at places where there were many ups and downs and the sand was deep in the final stage.
But Moreno is a great horse. His pulse rate after the final loop was very low. I think he is a true endurance horse,” said Milena.
Adnan Sultan Saif Al Nuaimi, ADEC Director General, Ahmad Al Marzouqi — IFHAR, Mounira Al Marzouqi — National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing Co. LLC and Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) and Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) gave away the trophies to the winners.
“Next year this race is going to be a 120km FEI Two-star ride. The fixtures of the new season will be announced in January. Today’s ride was well-organised and the weather was fine which was of great help to the riders and horses,” Sawaya said.
Results (top five)
1. Milena Mendez — ARG-(Moreno) 03 hrs 38 mins 02 secs;
2. Mariam Jasim Al Ansaari — UAE-(Horr Ibn Jahir)) 03:38:32;
3. Kamila Anita Kart — POL- (Othentik Du Fausset) 03:39.21;
4. Maria Julia Sciaroni — ARG- (Sugarsop De Sallaz) 03:41.07;
5. Sara Mohd Al Jaber-UAE-(Highland View Dolly) 03:44.00.
