Bahrain takes Gold as FEI Endurance Championships conclude this weekend

Second-time gold winner HH Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, with the horse Lola De Jalima from Bahrain took the top prize again at the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses held on Sunday 2 October, 2022 in Vic (ESP). Athletes completed a mountainous and challenging 120 km-long course, over four loops. 

In a tight competition, with the first and second vet gates busy with horses riding in together, Lucía Lateulade with the horse JM Hadamo from Uruguay came in second. Carlos Pacheco Perez with his mount Ella De Fontaines from host-country Spain claimed bronze. 

HH Sheikh Al Khalifa has successfully completed 13 FEI Championships in Endurance, including this one, since the start of his career, out of a total participation in 19 Championships. The first time he took the top prize was in August 2012, when he won the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses in Bablona (HUN). 

Demonstrating its impeccable level of fitness, Al Khalifa’s horse, Lola De Jalima, took an average of 1 minute 4 seconds to recover after each of the first three loops. The horse took only 9 minutes 12 seconds to recover from the last of the four loops. 

The ride started off at a cool 7 degrees at 07:30, with weather conditions warming up significantly to 27 degrees by the time the first horses started to arrive at the vet gates around 16:00. 

Lateulade came in second at the test event for these championships earlier this year in Vic in April, also with the horse JM Hadamo. It was Pacheco Perez’s first Championship; the last ride he competed in he placed first in Monpazier (FRA) this past August with the same horse Ella de Fontaines. 

Also participating in this year’s ride was athlete Saeed Salem Atiq Almuhairi from the UAE. A three-time gold winner of the World Juniors and Young Riders Championships, his most recent win was in Ermelo (Ned) in 2021, preceded by wins in Pisa and Valeggio Sul Mincio, both in Italy, in 2019 and 2017 respectively. 

This year’s FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses witnessed 41 starters from 20 countries. It was the concluding event of a weekend with two FEI Endurance Championships, with host nation Spain claiming both team and individual golds at the FEI European Championship for Young Riders & Juniors held on Friday. 


FULL RESULTS