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Picnic at the Park for Al Qubaisi and Zabeel Stables

Al Qubaisi completed the four loop 101 km ride in a time of three hours, 26 minutes and 25 seconds

Emirati women continued to dominate proceedings on the second day of the 2025 Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Festival with Maitha Mohamed Al Qubaisi claiming the Private Stables Ride for Zabeel Stables aboard Picnic Park Parisian Dawn at Dubai International Endurance City in Seeh Al Salam on Wednesday.

Partnering the 11-year-old mare trained by Mohammad Ahmad Almaari, Al Qubaisi completed the four loop 101 km ride in a time of three hours, 26 minutes and 25 seconds (3:26:25), the winners going about their business at an average speed of 29.36 kph.

Al Qubaisi’s win came a day after Argentina’s Milena Mendez won the Festival-opening Ladies Ride for M7 Endurance Stables.

The last time Al Qubaisi reigned on a podium was in 2021 when she won the Ladies event at the CEN 100 km Sheikha Fatma bint Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup. And her most recent top three finish had been a second in the Ladies event of last year’s Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Festival.

However, all that changed on Wednesday as she climbed up the rung in steady increments going from seventh to fourth to third, before eventually claiming a first success in four years with a solid final push aboard Picnic Park Parisian Dawn that saw her snatch the summit off Mayed Adel Al Hosani, who partnered Delhia De Meros in the colours of Al Sarab Endurance Stables.

Al Hosani had himself done well to reach the top of the leaderboard, having started the day in fourth and climbed up to second during the course of the second loop over 25 kms. But he had to be content with a third place finish after clocking 3:30:02 as Al Qubaisi and her mount turned on the heat in the final loop over 20 kms.

Al Kamda Endurance Stables’ Leila Mohammed Al Marzooqi managed to hold on to her spot during the final loop and might have gladly accepted her runner-up finish, having started the day as the overall leader aboard Goldika Folie and then dropped to third while negotiating the second phase of the competition. Al Marzooqi and her mount were clocked at 3:26:43.

The Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Festival, organised by Dubai Equestrian Club in association with the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation, comprises four rides in all and started with the Ladies Ride on Monday. Wednesday’s Private Stables competition will be followed by the 120 km Yamamah Endurance Cup for Mares on Thursday, while the fourth and final competition is the showpiece Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup (120km) on Saturday, January 11.