Saif Al Mazrouei wins HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Endurance Cup in Dubai

Al Mazrouei, aboard Nopoli Del Ma, emerged victorious in the CEI three-star event in a time of six hours, 32 minutes and 20 seconds.

Abdulla Ghanim Al Marri came in a close second two seconds behind the winner, riding 11-year-old Faraan from F3 stables, with Saeed Mohd Khalifa Al Mehairi, also from F3 in third less than half a minute behind the front two.

The race, presented by event partner Swiss watchmaker Longines, who are official timekeeper and the official watch of the event, headlined the four-day HH Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup Festival, which opened on 28 December.

The 160 kilometre ride on Saturday had one of its largest fields in the event’s relative short history, with 360 competitors from 44 countries starting the ride. Former European champions and former world champions joined a host of local and international horse-rider pairings in the competition which saw the first group of riders embark upon the five loop course at 7.00am. The distances for the five loops were 40 kilometres, two loops of 35 kilometres, followed by a loop of 32 kilometres and finally an 18 kilometre ride respectively.

Al Mazrouei had first announced his talent to the world in 2015 when he won gold at the 120-km FEI World Endurance Championships for Young Horses in Valeggio Sul Mincio, Italy. Trained at MRM Stables, Al Mazrouei’s horse, 14-year-old Nopoli Del Ma, is the same horse that was ridden by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, when he won the 2015 edition of HH Shaikh Mohammad Endurance Cup. Shaikh Hamdan also won the 2016 running of the prestigious competition.

“This was a very important race for me to win, because it is named after His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and we are so proud to have won this race.

My horse Nopoli Del Ma is a champion horse, and this is definitely the biggest win of my career,” the 18-year-old rider said.