Today's Edition
DUBAI (ALETIHAD)
Some of the UAE's top endurance athletes have joined forces as part of a potent 31-rider UAE contingent that will look to reclaim the honours at Royal Windsor Endurance 2025 on Friday.
The event at Windsor Great Park in the United Kingdom is an FEI competition comprising 3-star, 2* and 1* rides with an international field of horses, riders, trainers, grooms and support crew.
The CEI3* competition is the longest and most arduous of the three events and challenges rider-horse pairings along a 160-kilometre course split into five phases. Meanwhile, the CEI2* and CEI1* events are four-phase 120km and three-phase 100km rides, respectively.
The endurance competition is part of the larger Royal Windsor Horse Show. Emirati riders have won six of the 11 editions of Royal Windsor Endurance since its commencement in 2013, making the UAE the most successful nation in the history of the event.
Past Emirati champions include His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Defence and Chairman of The Executive Council, who helped the UAE defend the title in the second edition in 2014 after Rashed Mohammed Al Baloushi's victory in the inaugural event in 2013.
Saif Al Mazrouei celebrated success two years later in 2016 when the event was contested as a CEI2* event and will look to finish atop the podium once again, while Saeed Al Khayari and Ghanim Al Owaisi won the 2017 and 2019 renditions before the historic 2023 iteration where the UAE won all three rides, with the honours of the main event swept up by Fares Ahmad Al Mansoori.
Al Mazrouei, Al Khayari and Al Mansoori are part of the strong Emirati contingent that will look to stop four-time winners and defending champions Bahrain.
Commenting on the event Sheikh Rashed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Equestrian Club, said: "Our riders have demonstrated exceptional dedication, resilience, and unity in preparing for this prestigious event and I am confident that our team will represent the country with honour and distinction, embodying the spirit of endurance, excellence, and sportsmanship at every stage of the competition."
"This competition is our chance to prove what we've trained for, to push limits, and to compete with heart. Our team is ready to rise to the challenge, make our mark and we look forward to competing with integrity and excellence," he added.
Royal Windsor Endurance enjoys a unique setting with riders departing at the crack of dawn to tackle routes that take competitors through scenic sites such as the Copper Horse, Long Walk, and Smith's Lawn, known for hosting top-flight polo action. The course tests the pairings over different terrain including woodland tracks, grassland, water and roadways, as well as varying light levels through often dense tree coverage.
Ahmed Al Kaabi, Acting General Manager of Dubai Equestrian Club, who is also the Chef d’Equipe of UAE team said: “His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum won the event in 2014, and that inspirational victory has led others to dream of bringing the UAE joy in the competition.
“Horses are deep-rooted in the culture and traditions of the UAE, and the sport of endurance has a long history in the region. We are confident of the entire team, and we look forward to another stellar performance that will make the country and its mighty leadership proud.”
