RIYADH, 15 March 2006 — Two Saudi equestrienne, Alia Alhuwaete and Noora Filimban, will represent the Kingdom in the World Endurance Championship that kicks off in Bahrain today.
The female riders, both from the Kingdom Holding Company, chaired by Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal, will be participating in the event along with 70 competitors from all over the world.
The race covers an area of 120 kilometers in five phases. It starts today at 11 p.m. and ends at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning.
Speaking to Arab News from Bahrain, Alia Alhuwaete said that this would be her eighth participation in global championships.
She had earlier competed in the Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum Challenge Cup in Seeh Al Silm near the Dubai International Village last month.
Asked about the difficulties of the long race, she said: “Every participation adds to my experience. Some people participate in endurance championships for 10 years and still do not win. It is not about winning more than it is about being to represent my country as a Saudi female abroad,” she said.
She said the race had its own flavor by being in the open space where there were no hurdles or people taking account of your actions.
“It’s just you, the horse, and the desert,” she said, adding that the long distance teaches the jockey how to be patient and establish a closer relationship with his/her horse.
Alia said that it has been four months since she was hired by Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal, who she says, “took me under his wing and discovered my talents.”
“There isn’t a thing my colleague and I have required that he has not fulfilled. He has supported us from day one. He is a patriotic person who loves his country and seeks to raise its flag high abroad.”
Alia, who began learning horse riding in her father’s farm at age 5, said there was nothing that prevented Saudi women from learning horseback riding as a hobby or profession.
“We have a lot of equestrian clubs in the Kingdom and there is no problem at all in women learning the sport. Our king is also known for his love of the sport and even officials from the Saudi Equestrian Federation are encouraging Saudi women,” she said.
She said she believed that Saudi women would excel in any field they participated in. “Saudi women have proven to be successful in whatever the field they participate in. And now that the road is open for her participation in the equestrian field, you will see for yourself the success she will achieve,” she commented.
Alia said that she learned a lot from her new Saudi trainer Najeeb Barjes, the trainer of Prince Alwaleed’s stable.
“His method of teaching as well as his experience has had a great impact on me. I learned a lot from him. He’s better than the non-Saudi trainers I have dealt with in the past,” she said.
Prince Alwaleed has been a major supporter of Saudi women. Besides hiring Alia and Noora as Saudi female jockeys, the prince hired Saudi Arabia’s first female pilot Hanadi Al-Hendi in Kingdom Holding Company.
