Saeed Mohammed Khalifa Al Mehairi, winner of the 160-km Three-star HH President’s Cup ride in February, showed he is in good form and ready to defend his title by winning Saturday’s 100-km Al Wathba Cup for Private Owners Endurance Ride.
At the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, Al Mehairi rode seven-year-old Esraar to a narrow win over Uruguay’s Jonatan Rivera Iriarte on HH Ciabu in the four-stage ride.
Al Mehairi who won the President’s Cup on Murieb, was 17th after the first 40kms and then moved up to seventh place after the next 25 kms.
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The young UAE ace then took the lead after the next 19kms with the Uruguayan Iriarte serving up a steady pace in third place.
At the end, it was a close tussle and Al Mehairi finished 34 seconds ahead of his rival to score another emphatic win.
The Three-star HH President’s Cup is scheduled on February 13 next year.
Rashed Ahmed Al Bloushi on Dakar Al Oasis finished third for the UAE, while the next three spots were taken by riders from India, Pakistan, Uruguay before the UAE’s lady rider, Shathra Al Hajjaj on Rafaela, took the seventh place.
HH Sheikh Shakhbout Bin Nah-yan Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Emirates Equestrian Federation, attended the race.
Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director general of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club and Head of the Ride’s Organising Committee, gave away the trophies and keys to three cars for the top three riders.