Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques International Endurance Cup

The fourth edition of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques International Endurance Cup kicked off in the city of al-Ula (northwest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) on March 4, 2023. The event was organized by the Royal Commission for al-Ula in collaboration with the Saudi Equestrian Federation and under the supervision of the International Equestrian Federation.

In this 2023 edition of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques International Endurance Cup, two hundred male and female riders from forty countries competed by covering a distance of 120 km across the deserts and historical landmarks of al-Ula. The competition was divided into four stages: the first stage covering 38.2 km, the second stage 32.1 km, the third stage 27.3 km, and the fourth stage 22.4 km.

The Bahraini rider, Mohammed Abdulhameed al-Hashemi, was crowned the champion of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques International Endurance Cup for 2023. Al-Hashemi demonstrated high skills on his horse Leon, completing the main endurance race of the championship, which extended over a distance of 120 km. He finished the four rounds of the race in five hours, forty-seven minutes, and fifty-four seconds, surpassing his competitors, including the top-ranked woman, the Spanish rider Maria Ponton Alvarez, and her compatriot Omar Rodrigo Blanco.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques International Endurance Cup 2023 witnessed a discussion session titled 'al-Ula: The Future of the Equestrian Sector at the Crossroads of Ancient Civilizations.' The session delved into the development of equestrian sports in the Kingdom and al-Ula Governorate, and the care of horses.