Dubai: More than 300 riders will vie for honours in the Shaikh Saeed Bin Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Challenge at the Dubai International Endurance City (DIEC) on Friday.
The biggest ride of the season so far, it is sponsored by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the Minister of Finance.
It will also serve as the Dubai Equestrian Club’s first FEI-CEI 2* ride of 2014-15 season and acts as a precursor to the prestigious His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai) Endurance Cup on January 10, 2015.
Qualified horses of six years and older are eligible to participate in the event which will contested over four loops at the DIEC course over distances of 40km, 30km, 30km and 20km.
The ride is set to begin at 7am.
Mohammad Eisa Al Adhab, Deputy GM of the Dubai Equestrian Club said: “We are honoured by the kind support of this event through the generous patronage of Shaikh Hamdan. His commitment to equine sports allows the DEC to once again host this prestigious CEI 2* ride. This as an event that continues the tradition of excellence the UAE has for the sport of endurance riding. The number of riders this race attracted proves the popularity of the sport in the region.”
There will be a pre-ride inspection on Thursday from 2:30pm to 4:30pm.
The Shaikh Saeed Endurance Challenge serves as one of the major FEI-sanctioned rides to be held during the DIEC season 2014-2015.
