Weltmeisterin 2018!
Es ist die Weltmeisterschaft der Amazonen im Galopprennsport, die H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship. Die Rennen um sich zu qualifizieren finden um den ganzen Globus statt und werden komplett von Abu Dhabi gesponsort. Die Qualifikationsrennen begannen im Januar in Oman, es ging weiter in der Schweiz, Amerika, Marokko, Schweden, den Niederlanden, Frankreich, Bahrain, Dänemark, Spanien, Belgien, Brasilien und Algerien. Der Endlauf um diese Weltmeisterschaft findet dann auch jedes Jahr im November in Abu Dhabi während des Sheikh Mansoor Festivals statt. Dieses Jahr hatte ich mich schon früh mit dem Sieg in St. Moritz für den Endlauf qualifiziert.
Seit Jahren habe ich den Traum und das Ziel, diese Weltmeisterschaft einmal zu gewinnen, denn es gibt bei uns Profi-Amazonen nur diese Rennserie um Weltmeisterin zu werden.
Klar braucht man Losglück bei den Pferden, denn alle Pferde werden zugelost, aber es ist wie immer, jedes Rennen muss geritten werden. Groß schreiben über das Rennen möchte ich jetzt nach dem Rennen nichts, außer ich habe auf einem richtig guten Pferd gesessen. Ich bin einfach erstmal glücklich, gewonnen zu haben und mir fehlen noch die Worte. Einen großen Dank an alle die mitgewirkt haben ... Asyyad und Trainer Eric Lemartinel, Lara Sawaya und deren ganzes Team, an alle die zuhause mitgefiebert und die Daumen gedrückt haben, usw usw...!
Fast ganz vergessen: Esther hat die Weltmeisterschaft bei den Auszubildenden gewonnen. Gratuliere Dir Esther! Du bist als erste aufs Geläuf gekommen um mir zu gratulieren, mit beiden Titeln für Deutschland fliegen wir beide super gut nach Hause ;-)
Zwei neue Weltmeisterinnen für Deutschland
Riesenerfolg für Deutschland am Freitag in Abu Dhabi/Vereinigte Arabische Emirate: Deutschland hat nach Lilli-Marie Engels, die ja bereits Fegentri-Titelträgerin 2018 ist, zwei neue Weltmeisterinnen: Esther Ruth Weißmeier und Rebecca Danz. Esther Ruth Weißmeier gewann mit Jean de Roualles Harrab beim Sheikh Mansoor Festival die Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice Jockey World Championship, also die WM der Auszubildenden. Rebecca Danz triumphierte im Sattel von Eric Lemartinels Asyyad in der Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship. „Es war das erste Mal, dass ein Team beide Rennen gewann, und das erste Mal, dass ich für Deutschland einen Jockey und einen Azubi im Rennen hatte. Das beide den Titel geholt haben, war großartig“, berichtete Kai Schirmann, der Leiter der Jockeyschule in Köln, der für das Festival arbeitet und stets die Reiter begleitet. German Racing gratuliert den beiden deutschen Amazonen zu diesen großen Triumphen!
GERMAN DOUBLE IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Winning their respective 86th races for Rebecca Danz and Esther Weissmeier not only earned them world titles but also helped them make it a German double on the big night.
In the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship final race, Germany’s Danz on Asyyad led a top four sweep for trainer Eric Lemartinel in the colours of his main patron, UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Asyyad under Danz won from Lemartinel’s daughter Marie on Bainoona with Mahfouz under Ireland’s Evanna McCutcheon and Jaahiz under UK’s Antonia Peck make it 1-2-3-4 for the French trainer. “Obviously we were very hopeful and the conditions of the race suited Asyyad so we though he was our best choice,” said trainer Lemartinel. “To have the first four is probably more than we could have hoped, but the jockeys have done well.”
“I am delighted with Asyyad winning under a very good ride and also, very proud of Marie who rode the second excellently.”
Danz added: “This is just brilliant and I am over the moon. To win here in Abu Dhabi, wearing these silks and representing my country is very special. I have to thank the horse’s connections and of course the HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival for this wonderful series of races.”
World Championships go to Germany
The German riders Rebecca Danz and Esther Weissmeier were both victorious in supporting races on the six-race card. Danz, 29, aboard Asyyad. triumphed for trainer Eric Lemartinel in the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Championship. Weissmeier, 21, was victorious on Jean de Roualle’s Harrab in the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice Jockey Championship half-an-hour earlier.
“It was an amazing race to win,” said Danz who took up the running on the home stretch to win from Bainoona by three and-a-half lengths. “I have been riding in Germany for 10 years and this is my fifth year riding in the Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Festival for Purebred Arabians. I have no words to describe winning this prize. The feeling of winning a big race is incredible.”
For Weissmeier, winning a race outside her native Germany, was her biggest achievement. “The trainer instructed me to be behind the lead horses, which I did, and when we turned the final corner I got space to go from the inside. He was flying from there,” she said.
Like Danz, Weismeier also rides professionally in Germany, but the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Festival for Purebred Arabians permits jockeys who are under 25 to take part.
The 1600m HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice Jockey Championship (Prestige PA) was won easily by Harrab, saddled by Jean de Roualle for Yas Horse Racing Management and given a perfect rode by Esther Weissmeier, representing Germany and partnering her 86th career winner.
Content to stalk the leaders, in a nice position on the rail, the pair were in the perfect position to pounce when leader AF Noqoush drifted off the fence turning into the straight. Once in front, they were never going to be caught with the colt actually losing his maiden tag in the process on his tenth start and third in the UAE.
“Obviously it is a great feeling to come here and win and I was able to do exactly what the trainer told me,” Weissmeier said. “He told me to follow the leaders and, from our low draw, try and stay on the inside. He instilled me with a lot of confidence and I was obviously very lucky when my name came out of the hat on Tuesday to ride this horse.”
De Roualle added: “We knew we had a good chance, but in these races, you rely a lot on a good jockey and she has given the horse a great ride, following instructions perfectly.”
Then it was the turn of the women with ten contesting the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship (Prestige PA), also over 1600m and in which Eric Lemartinel saddled six for his main patron, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
He promptly supplied the first four with Asyyad leading home the quartet under Rebecca Danz completing a notable double for Germany and, coincidentally like Weissmeier earlier, achieving an 86th career success.
It was apparent leaving the home turn that the Lemartinel battalion were going to dominate with eventual fourth, Jaahiz leading the way, but soon passed by Bainoona, the mount of Lemartinel’s daughter, Marie.
Briefly it appeared a memorable family triumph was in the offing, but then Danz and Asyyad loomed large and threw down a telling challenge in the final 200m. He actually crossed the line just behind stable companion Ras Esina, but, sadly, the latter had parted company with her unfortunate jockey, Nadia Ibrahim, after about 100m.
For the record, Lemartinel’s sixth runner RB Inferno was sixth, denied fifth by just a neck.
“Obviously we were very hopeful and the conditions of the race suited Asyyad so we though he was our best choice,” said trainer Lemartinel. “To have the first four is probably more than we could have hoped, but the jockeys have done well.”
“I am delighted with Asyyad winning under a very good ride and also, very proud of Marie who rode the second excellently.”
Danz added: “This is just brilliant and I am over the moon. To win here in Abu Dhabi, wearing these silks and representing my country is very special. I have to thank the horse’s connections and of course the organisers of this wonderful series of races.”
