France is almost full to the brim this year with the most exciting sporting events, and the FEI Endurance World Championship 2024 is also one of them. During the award ceremony in Monbazillac arenas, this equestrian sport awarded medals to some of the most surprising nations on September 8.
Reigning champions defended their titles, while dark horses emerged and took victory with their names immortalising in history, the championship was nothing short of an adventure. To sum things up about this arduous 160 km race for you, here is our review of the event.
FEI Endurance World Championship: Individual Medals
In the individual medals, French rider Melody Théolissat, who held the first position in the FEI Endurance Riders World Rankings, secured a bronze while riding Yalla de Jalima. Meanwhile, UAE’s Saeed Ahmed Jaber Al Harbi gave a spectacular performance while riding Castlebar Cadabra, and took home the silver medal. He finished the race in a time of 8:32:51 hours and made his nation proud.
All eyes were on the reigning champion, Bahrain’s HH Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who won his world title at the FEI Endurance World Championship in 2023 at Butheeb, UAE. He defended his title with a stunning vigour and ended the race with a gold medal in an admirable time of 8:32:00 hours.
HH Sheikh Nasser was supposed to ride his horse Darco la Majorie, who secured him gold in 2022, however, the horse was slightly injured. So, the world champion rode on Everest la Majorie, his horse’s cousin who was the runner-up of the previous championship. “I knew Everest was also a top-level horse, but I didn’t expect us to win,” he mentioned in an interview.
FEI Endurance World Championship: Team Medals
Betting is only available to participants above 18 years. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleAware.org
The race for the team medals was just as exhilarating as the individual ones. Here’s a quick rundown of the medallists.
The Host Is Golden, Yet Again
Before the competition, the French coach Jean-Michel Grimal had expressed some concern about choosing his team of five from the available competitors as the riders and horses were all good. Eventually, his selection sparked victory for France as they defended the world title that they had won in Butheeb in 2023.
“It’s been a great sports summer,” the happy coach mentioned after winning gold.
China, the Trailblazers Who Bagged Silver
This was only the second time that China participated in the FEI Endurance World Championship, and they amazed the equestrian fans by winning silver and creating history. An incredible father-daughter duo, Bo Sui and Jiahe Sui was also part of the Chinese team. This talented pair won hearts as 15-year-old Jiahe was the youngest competitor in the 2024 race.
The race was quite a challenge to overcome in the beginning for the 15-year-old as it started at 5:30 AM with heavy rain and mist, that hampered the vision of the riders. “Our goal as a team was simply to finish the ride and try to be in the top five, so securing second place is fantastic!” said an ecstatic Jiahe after winning silver.
Malaysia Secures a Slow Bronze
Another team that created history was Malaysia as they cemented a bronze medal after a tough race that became more challenging due to the pouring rain. While the team tried to follow France, the rain made it difficult to do so. They had to slow down their pace, but this approach was what ensured that they got a bronze in the race.
Betting is only available to participants above 18 years. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleAware.org