Sealine: The Qatar Endurance Racing Club (QERC) has organized Al Wasmi Race, the inaugural contest of the 2025-2026 season, at the Marathon Village in Sealine, spanning a distance of 100 km with the participation of 66 riders.
According to Qatar News Agency, the competition witnessed a powerful showing at the start of the new season. The results saw Team Al Wudna claim the top position under the leadership of rider Ahmed Saeed Matar Al Suwaidi aboard Niger Tarara, supervised by trainer Abdulaziz Ahmed Al Kuwari. Team Photo Finish secured second place with rider Mohammed Rashed Al Rashed on Granite de Bonance, guided by trainer Saad Khalifa Al Kuwari, while Team MT ranked third through rider Abdullah Tahous Al Naimi on Galika Aleron, trained by Mohammed Tahous Al Naimi.
HE Chairman of QERC, Sheikh Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Nasser Al-Thani, presided over the coronation ceremony, bestowing honors upon the winners of the Al Wasmi Race and recognizing the champions of the 2024-2025 season. The horse Dhaima Al Shaqab received the award for Best Horse of the past season, while rider Abdulmohsen Dhafi Al Marri was accorded the Best Rider Award. Ahmed Salem Al Balushi captured the Best Trainer Award, and Team Al Mazroua won the Best Team Award.
HE Sheikh Mohammed praised the kickoff of the new season and the growing participation of riders, along with the organization of the race, which reflects the nation's commitment to this sport. He affirmed that QERC continues its efforts to bolster the infrastructure of endurance racing and broaden participation, underscoring that the ongoing season will feature a series of championships contributing to elevating this sport.
Vice-Chairman of QERC, Mohammed Majed Al Sulaiti, expressed excitement about the coaching and organizational level of the event, emphasizing that the strong turnout and competition mirror the standing that endurance racing has attained in Qatar.
QERC was established on 7 Oct. 2021 pursuant to Ministerial Decision No. 261 of 2021, serving as an extension of the Qatar Endurance Committee, which was founded in the early 1990s as a division of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club before evolving into an independent committee under the Qatar Olympic Committee administratively and the Qatar Equestrian Federation as the supervisory authority.
Qatar is among the first nations in the Gulf, Arab, and Asian regions to have organized endurance races. The nation's involvement in this sport dates back to 1992, when local races covering distances of 40-42 kilometers were first introduced. The first international endurance race was held in 1994 in Ras Laffan in the Al Hamla area, featuring both Qatari and foreign riders. At the time, endurance races were known as desert races and were governed by simple local regulations, marking the genesis of what has evolved into one of the region's exceptional equestrian traditions.