The Dubai Equestrian Club will be hosting the world's richest-ever endurance ride, the His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup 2008. The coveted prize set aside for the winners is worth Dh four billion with the first placed winner riding away with Dh 250,000.

The 160-km ride will be held at the Dubai International Endurance City on Saturday, January 12, 2008.

Saeed Al Tayer, vice-president of DEC, while announcing this at a press conference in Dubai recently, said several riders from all over the world will be riding in which being sponsored by Omega.

The FEI CEI three-star event and will be run in six stages of 32km, 32km, 28km, 28km, 21km and 19 km.

Al Tayer said international riders and horses have been invited based on their current form and FEI ranking and there will be a strong contingent from the UAE.

The world class action on the tracks will be beamed on a big screen at the at the ride venue while www.dubaiendurancecity.com will carry results live online. Entertainment for the family on the sidelines includes bouncy castles, clowns, stilt walkers, clowns, henna faces painters and a jazz band, according to Al Tayer.

One of the UAE tope realtors Hydra Properties has come forward to sponsor the show jumping activities for the season, organized by the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation.

The sponsorship will start with the Dubai International Show Jumping Championship scheduled to be held from January 10 to 12, 2008. The sponsorship will further cover not only the events in the country but also events in events in Germany, France, The Netherlands and Belgium.

While giving details of the sponsorship at a press conference at Abu Dhabi Sheraton on January 5, 2008, Sultan Abdulla Al Marzouqi, Secretary General of the Federation said thanked the sponsors for their contribution which he felt will boost the discipline further. He also thanked the Tasweeq management for bringing in the sponsors.

Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim, CEO of Hydra Properties, present on the occasion, said the move is a new link in a continuous series of actions to support activities that raise the profile of the UAE.

A three-day Endurance Festival, HH Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan International Festival for Endurance, being organized by the Bou Theib Endurance Village, in cooperation with the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation, will be held from January 3-5, 2008 at the Bou Theib Endurance Village. The festival is being organized under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Emirates Heritage Club, which oversees the activities of the Bou Theib Endurance Village.

The Festival, for the second consecut8ve year, is featuring a 240-km endurance ride which will be stretched over three days with each day featuring an 80-km ride. As many as 80 riders are likely to take part in this three-day grueling test of endurance. Last year as many 39 riders had participated in this featured event and 14 of the riders completed the test successfully. Sheikh Hazza bin Sultan Al Nahyan partnered ZT Faraventure to win this prestigious event.

The 240-km ride will be run in three phases each day at 30 km, 30 km and 20 km respectively covering each phase.

Also part of the Festival will be the 120-km Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup for Privately Owned Horses which will be held on Thursday, January 3, 2008 Thirty-eight riders are likely to have a mass start in the morning at 6.30 am. Maktoum Nawab Nouh Al Baloushi, riding Chupacabra finished in the first place last year. The ride will be run in five phases of 30 km, 30 km, 24 km, 20 km and 16 km respectively and will start at 6.30 am.

Another important ride of the Festival will be the FEI CEI Three-star 120-km Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nayhan Endurance Cup for Juniors and Young Riders, which will be staged on Friday, January 4, 2008, at the same venue. Forty-five youngsters have confirmed their participation in this ride. In 2007, this ride was won by Rashed Saeed Al Kamda who was riding French Ally.

On the sidelines of the festival, two Federation Qualifiers of 40 km and 80 km respectively will be held on January 5, 2008.

The three-day festival is likely to attract a large number of fans and lots of prizes will be given away not only for the winners but also for the raffle ticket winners.

Under the directives of the President of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation His Excellency Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a Racing Committee has been formed. The committee, which is chaired by Mohammed Essa Al Adhab, has Sultan Abdulla Al Marzouqi, Secretary General of the Federation and Salem Jumaa Al Ketbi as members. The committee is responsible for all matters related to The President of the UAE Pure-bred Arabian Horse Races, being held under the sponsorship of UAE Equestrian Federation.

Under the directives of the President of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation His Excellency Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, A Show Jumping Judges Committee has been formed chaired by Mrs. Lisa Hareb. Members of this panel include Khalil Ibrahim and Hasan Musa Al Hinae.

Under the directives of the President of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation His Excellency Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, an Endurance Committee has been formed chaired by Ahmed Ali Al Hammadi and four members representing the three endurance villages and the local rides.

Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri from Al Wathba Stables rewrote world history in speed for 120-km endurance ride when he finished the ride in a record timing of 4 hours, 32 minutes and 46 seconds. Riding seven-year-old bay gelding Cupid, Ali Khalfan finished the five-loop ride on an average speed of 26.40 kmph.

The National Day Cup, sponsored by Nakheel, was held on Saturday, December 15, 2007, at the Emirates International Endurance Village, Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi and featured a good number of 112 riders.

Yousef Ahmed Al Beloushi from Al Reef Stables finished second on 15-year-old bay gelding Estaban in four hours 33 minutes and 12 seconds riding on an average speed of 26.35 kmph and Pan Arab Games double gold medallist Sheikh Majid bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, finished in third place riding 10-year-old grey gelding Omani Iman from Al Asafa Ltd. Sheikh Majid's average speed wqas 25.52 mph.

The winning time of 4hrs 32mins 46secs at an average of 26.40 km/h broke the earlier record held by Yousef Ahmad when he clocked 4 hours, 39 minutes and 10 seconds on Jibbah Enog during the Damas Championship held at the same venue on January 20.

Thani Mohammad Al Muhairi finished fourth riding eight-year-old chestnut gelding Royal Rebellion, owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Minister of Finance and Industry and Dubai Deputy Ruler. Muhairi took four hours, 45 minutes and 54 seconds to complete the ride on an average speed of 25.18 kmph. Seasoned champion Hassan bin Ali finished fifth riding 10-year-old bay gelding Blackheath Kira, also owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.