Last Saturday the third Al-Ahram Al-Arabi International Horse Endurance race saw a son surpass his father. Nashwa Abdel-Tawab follows the herd with Al-Ahram photographers Mahmoud Moussa and Salah Ibrahim in a Jeep Click to view caption Watching the sun rise and set in one day at the Pyramids with a herd of horses in the background is something that doesn't happen everyday. The day it did seemed to be the day the seasons changed. It started off cold at dawn, then hot at noon, then mild by mid-evening. The race itself was much the same. At dawn, 79 riders -- mainly from UAE and Egypt -- took off with their Arabian thoroughbreds and mixed breeds on an endurance race in the desert behind the Giza Pyramids. Defending title holder -- for the past two years -- Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al- Maktoum, failed to make it a third, and watched, instead, his son win this year's gruelling 120-kilometre desert event. The win marked a clean sweep by the Emirates, who took the first eight places. Riding on Yamama, Sheikh Rashid Bin Mohamed won the course in 5:16:51 hours, averaging a speed of 18 kilometres per hour. Abdallah Khamis from UAE came second clocking two seconds behind. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohamed came third, one second behind Khamais. Title holder Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid came fourth clocking 5:22:43 hours. The results were slightly surprising given the status of last year's top two: Sheikh Hazza' Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, son of the UAE president, who came second last year, quit the race in its first loop after feeling his horse tire. "It was a difficult land to try a new horse for endurance on," said Hazza'. "It needs training and experience and I don't dare force an unqualified horse to race on such ground -- for its own sake." The race also witnessed the elimination of UAE's Ali Al-Gahouri after he was seen using the stick on his horse, and the striking absence of new World Champion Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohamed, who missed the event to focus on his studies. The most striking of the surprises, however, was definitely that of the event's host and defending champion. The public could not quite come to terms with his loss and why and how it came about. Al-Maktoum, however, was not fazed by the loss. "I did not compete for the prize," he said, referring to the LE1 million total purse. "I came here to compete and have a good race. I want this sport to be known worldwide and be enjoyed by the people." He is also unshaken by the UAE's dominance in the sport. To him, it is what it should be: the norm. "We look after the horses well. Since the early 1970s we have been improving their breeding. Today we have our own pure Arabian and thoroughbreds," Al-Maktoum said. And an Arabian, he added, will take care of its owner as no other horse can, for it has not only been raised to physical perfection, but has been instilled with a spirit of loyalty unparalleled by that of any other breed. "So we, in turn, take care of it." The event -- the third in Egypt to be governed by international rules -- began Saturday at dawn from the Khefren Pyramid instead of Sakkara; a change made in response to the positive participation of the Egyptian Equestrian Federation (EEF) this time. "The 79 riders looped around a hilly course overlooking almost 29 pyramids," said Engineer Abdel-Fattah Ragab, president of the EEF. "The route itself is easier and that is clear in the results in comparison with last year's 100-km result." The route, for the riders, was something of a spectacle. "I could hardly concentrate on my ride with the marvelous ancient human hand in such a spacious desert," Al-Maktoum said. "Egypt is displaying her charms in all the rides. It's a new route with a new taste and a new crowned champion." A new setting, a new route, a new champion, and a new distance as well. The race was upgraded from a one-star endurance competition to a two-star race. "It became a 120-km race instead of 100-km," said Brigadier General Mohamed Bakir, secretary-general of the EEF. "Although it's a new sport in Egypt -- just born two years ago thanks to the initiation of Al-Ahram Al-Arabi magazine and to the UAE's sponsorship and promotion of the sport in Egypt -- its local rise has been quick and tangible," he said. "I followed the Egyptian riders," Al-Maktoum said. "Their techniques have improved drastically. I commend them all." He also added that he sends individual wishes to the youngest rider on the course, Reham Ashraf El-Qallah. Reham, 15, completed three loopes of her first international race. Thirty-one Egyptian riders participated in the 120-km race and 15 managed to complete it. That is a great number given that there have been just two national competitions for seniors and juniors so far. Reham was the runner-up in the national junior endurance race. Contestants were judged on the condition of their horses in addition to race time. The 120-kilometre race is divided into five stages. The first is 27.5 kms followed by a 30- minute break; the second is 27 kms with a 40- minute rest period; the third is 26 kms followed by a 50-minute rest; the fourth is 27.5 kms with a 60-minute rest; and the last phase is a 12-km stretch. A final vet check-up is then conducted. In true Arabian spirit, mandatory checks by veterinarians are conducted within 30 minutes of the completion of each phase. These include checks on blood pressure, dehydration symptoms and injuries. If a horse is judged to be unsound or physically unfit, for its own sake the animal is taken out of the race. This year, organisation was superb, with horses being able to quench their thirst at watering stations every five kilometres. "There was very good organisation," said Sheikh Rashid. "From the availability of water to referees to resting stations to the vets." Despite the organisation -- absent from some events -- the race was still an incredible test of endurance. Endurance riding is defined as an athletic event with the same horse and rider covering a measured course within a specified maximum time. Although the rides are technically races, many, if not most, riders participate to complete it rather than race. To them, the satisfaction of completing 120 kilometres of tough terrain on a horse is reward enough.
