Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Rashed Al Mehairi went one better by winning the UAE a fifth-straight title at the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Riders and Juniors 2025 in Buftea, Romania, with a calculated ride and a bit of good fortune aboard Shardell Jaeger.
Al Mehairi had finished second behind compatriot Rashed Al Ketbi in a UAE 1-2 at the previous event at Castelsagrat in France in 2023.
However, this was to be his year. And he rose to the occasion to once again stamp the UAE’s domination over the Young Rider and Junior division by staying close to the top of the leaderboard and making his bid for glory in the fifth and final loop of the 120-kilometre ride in Buftea, a town located about 20km northwest of Bucharest.
Keeping close to the top of the leaderboard meant hotly pursuing teammate Essa Abdulla, who seized the lead from Bahrain’s Sultan Al Romaihi during the course of the second loop.
Al Mehairi was placed third at the end of the first loop and maintained his position at the end of the second before dropping one spot to fourth during the third loop. He picked up during the fourth loop to climb up to second going into the final loop.
Meanwhile, Essa Abdulla, who maintained his lead, had his mount Geste La Majorie adjudged to have returned with an irregular gait at the vet gates at the end of the race, which put paid to his hopes of winning. That ceded the advantage and title to Al Mehairi, who was thrilled to have won after his runners-up finish of two years ago.
Al Mehairi completed the ride in 5 hours 33 minutes and one second (5:33:01) riding at a pace of 22.79km/h to win ahead of the Bahraini pair of Saud Salem and Isa Al Anezi, who finished second and third, respectively. The trio were part of a group of 45 finishers from a starting group of 84.
Five riders represented the UAE at the event, with the rest of the Emirates contingent comprising groups, trainers and administrative staff. Al Mehairi’s victory meant a fifth consecutive title for the UAE and its eighth overall in the history of the championship.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, Al Falasi presented commemorative shields from the Dubai Equestrian Club to Hubert Stefan, President of Ilfov County Council in Romania, and Gheorghe Pistol, Mayor of Buftea, Romania, in the presence of Marilena Mladen, President of the Romanian Equestrian Federation.
