CONSISTENCY IS KEY in endurance riding and Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum put on a spirited show and was unwavering as he contested the CEN 120km Endurance Ride at Bouthib International Endurance Village on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi last week.
Riding Zane for Endurance 66 Stables, Sheikh Saeed completed the four phase ride in six hours seven minutes and 24 seconds (6:07:24), going about his business at an average speed of 19.9kph. It was a hardy performance from both rider and horse with competition run with strict adherence to the Bouthib protocols that are designed to ensure the welfare of participants.
Sheikh Saeed and his 16yo partner started their day at tenth and moved up the rung slowly but steadily, doing enough in the end to win by :3:13 from second placed Indian rider Manohar Singh, who partnered M7 Endurance Stables’ Shifra Allybar and completed the ride in 6:10:37.
Finishing third was Emirati rider Essa Salem Al Shair, who was clocked at 6:13:07 on the back of Conderosa Ambrosio, owned by Al Aasfa 3 Endurance Stables. Tayub Ali Khan on Emirates Stables’ Eklipse El Fayad took the lead after the first phase spanning 40km with Sheikh Saeed :10:52 behind the pace.
The pair held on to the top of the leaderboard during the 30km second loop, with Sheikh Saeed climbing up two spots despite reducing his speed. The adjustment helped Khan widen the gap and he moved :18:59 clear, but having been forced to drop his own pace during the third loop over 31.9km, the leader ceded the advantage to Emirati rider Al Shair, who moved up two spots to take the summit.
Al Shair was always under the threat of losing out with Sheikh Saeed tightening up and flooring the gas pedal on Zane during the final 20.07km fourth loop. Riding at 25kph, he swooped in to net victory comfortably with the leader eventually slipping to the final place on the podium.
Manohar Singh did well to climb up from 19th to sixth and fifth before fighting to finish second, while Al Shair was lucky to hold on to third after clocking 6:13:07, which was 11s quicker than fourth placed Martina Spelanzon, who was timed at 6:13:18 on Al Aasfa 2’s JM Font. A further second adrift in fifth was Spelanzon’s Emirati Al Aasfa 2 teammate Ali Ghaleb Alawbthani on Azurite Tequila.
