JEDDAH, 25 August 2005 — Saudi riders World Cup champion Tarek Abdul Hadi Taher and Faiz Turkmani will represent the Kingdom in the European Endurance Championship, which is scheduled to start in the French city of Campiegne tomorrow.
Taher, who will compete with his mount Al-Jeraif, expressed optimism that the Saudi team would achieve positive result in the equestrian event of endurance racing.
The horses of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Rashid Al-Maktoum of the UAE and Princess Haya bint Al-Hussein of Jordan are entered in the high-profile competition. As many as 127 horses are expected to join the 160-km race, divided into six phases namely 32.8 km first phase, 21 km second, 32.6 km third, 20.3 km fourth, 32.7 km fifth and 21 km sixth.
Taher won first place in the Toledo championship in 2001.
He was declared world champion in the endurance race in Qatar in 1997 and clinched gold medals at major championships held in both France and Britain.
