BUCHAREST (Al Ittihad) — The equestrian star Oana Maria Bobescu has emerged victorious in the fifth round of the Emirates Global Village endurance race, securing her win aboard the horse “Kahilaan.” The event, held in the picturesque Balkan region of Buftia, Romania, attracted a distinguished group of endurance riders on Sunday.
Race Overview
The main race spanned a challenging 160 km and was divided into five phases: the first measured 39 km, the second 33 km, the third again 39 km, the fourth 28 km, and the final phase covered 21 km. This prestigious event was organised in a remarkable partnership between the Emirates Global Village for Endurance, EIEV PULSE, and the Romanian Equestrian Federation, under the supervision of the International Equestrian Federation. In addition to the main race, seven other competitions took place over two days.
Oana Maria Bobescu’s Triumph
Oana Maria Bobescu’s victory in the main event came after a stellar performance throughout all stages of the race, clocking an impressive time of 11:42:34 hours. Her consistent efforts showcased her skill and determination in a highly competitive field.
Day One Results
The first day of competition revealed exciting outcomes, including Stefanu Osp’s win aboard “Kadir” in the Balkan Championship for endurance over 121 km. Additionally, Radost Bakalov secured the title in the Balkan Championship for youth and juniors, riding “Nazaret” across the 103 km course.
Day Two Highlights
On the second day, Arim Kavraz triumphed in the three-star international endurance event, completing the 140 km distance on her horse “Lavinia” in a time of 9:06:14 hours. Barbara Bromberger won the two-star international race over 121 km, riding “Kaisa” in 7:21:38 hours, while Ioana Kayoumer clinched the title in the youth and juniors two-star event, finishing the same distance just a hair quicker at 7:21:35 hours.
Elena Stoyan earned the victory in the one-star international race over 103 km, riding “Ashira” with a finish time of 7:30:06 hours. In the one-star event for youth and juniors, Karina Dubreva took first place with her horse “Argentina,” completing the 103 km in a remarkable 6:51:36 hours.
A Memorable Ceremony
The winners were crowned in a ceremony attended by Sultan Mohammed Majid Al Ali, the UAE Ambassador to Romania; Dr Abdullah Ahmed Al Sheikh, a board member and head of the endurance committee at the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation; Mohammed Ali Al Habri, the events manager at the village; Lara Sowaya, Executive Director of Marketing and Sponsorship at the village and EIEV PULSE; Jassim Al Sharfa, General Director of Akademi Worldwide K9; Mohammed Al Mahmoud, General Director of Motobro; and Marilina Maladin, along with representatives from the Romanian Equestrian Federation.