Shaikh Mohammad and Shaikh Mansour shared the honour of winning the 120-km First Gulf Bank-sponsored National Day Cup endurance ride here yesterday

Royality from Abu Dhabi & Dubai were declared the winners of the endurance ride contest. General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defence, and Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, shared the honour of winning the 120-km First Gulf Bank-sponsored National Day Cup endurance ride here yesterday.

Shaikh Mohammad and Shaikh Mansour along with four other UAE riders finished in a bunch, five seconds separating the six UAE riders. However, both Shaikh Mohammad on Al Naa'is and Shaikh Mansour on Ro Sa'ad were level when they crossed the line and were timed at five hours 20 mins and 29 secs for the five-stage 120-km ride.

Earlier in the morning, a large field of 120 riders got off to a mass start but all eyes were on the UAE team of riders, led by Shaikh Mohammad, who are to take part in the World Endurance Championship in a fortnight from now.

Quite a few riders and officials from the participating teams who are already here watched the UAE riders dominate once again.

Former National Day Cup winner Abdullah Khamis Ali Saeed, WEC trial ride winner Yousef Ahmad Al Bloushi, Hassan Abdulla Al Hammadi and Ahmad Mohammad J. Al Hammadi were the other four UAE riders who finished just behind the joint winners.

However, Shaikh Mohammad and Shaikh Mansour took contrasting routes to share the top spot on the podium. While Shaikh Mansour was placed second after the first 32kms, Shaikh Mohammad was in 40th position. From then on Shaikh Mohammad gradually moved up to 22nd and 12th in the next two stages before joining the leader's pack. Shaikh Mansour was always in the leading group and was third when he went out on the final loop while Shaikh Mohammad had by then reached the fifth place. Both averaged 22.47 kmph for the 120-km CEI three-star event and drew huge applause as they stood on the podium.

More good news came when the young UAE riders Shaikh Hazza Bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Fatima de Saul) and Shaikh Khalid Bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Cristal de Suleiman), along with Sultan Bin Sulayem (Irex du Mas), who will all be wearing the UAE colours in the World Championship, also completed the ride. Unfortunately, Shaikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum (Awanui Duke), another UAE rider in the World Championship, completed the ride but his horse was found lame in the vet check.

Earlier, Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum and Ali Mohammad Al Muhairi made an early exit. Shaikh Rashid Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum did not start.

Also among those who started but made an early exit were Princess Haya Bint Hussain of Jordan and two-time National Day Cup winner, Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri.

Results
1. Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Al Naa'is) 5hrs 20 mins 29 secs
1. Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Ro Sa'ad) 5:20.29
3. Abdullah Khamis Ali Saeed (Shiranna Bokhara) 5:20.30
4. Yousef Ahmad Al Bloushi (El Hadzin Deleyre) 5:20.32
5. Hassan Abdulla Al Hammadi (RO Fabiola) 5:20.33
6. Ahmad Mohammad J. Al Hammadi (Delta Moon Shine) 5:20.34
7. Salman Ali Al Sabri (Melcott Meteorite) 5:21.26
8. Ahmad Hassan Al Hammadi (Haruka Du Somali) 5:24.42
9. Khalifa Salem Al Fora (Deen) 5:31.45
10. Pio Juan Olascoaga-Uruguay-(Jabbar) 5:37.38.

Other UAE World Championship riders to finish:
13. Sultan Bin Sulayem (Irex du Mas) 5:48.01
19. Shaikh Hazza Bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Fatima de Saul) 5:57.04
20. Shaikh Khalid Bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Cristal de Suleiman) 6:02.40