|
Terengganu, Malaysia: Former world powerboat champion Saeed Al Tayer has been through some challenging moments in his powerboat and endurance career but is facing a new one as Chef d'Equipe of the UAE endurance team.
With the riders facing some new problems at the World Endurance Championship like Humidity, visibility and an extra stage with seven loops, Al Tayer feels tactics will play a crucial role.
He said: "It will be a battle of attrition. Riders must know how to preserve and use the energy of their horses. Tactics will play a major role.
"Most of the UAE team riders have ridden with and learnt a lot from His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. All they have to do is go and implement his plans.
"They are very experienced and they will apply what they have learnt over the years.
Training
"The UAE horses have been training in the UAE for about 10 weeks now and conditions here are almost similar to that of the UAE. So our riders can manage the heat factor. But it is the humidity they have to battle.
"However, the course is really good and the humidity factor can be forgiven as if it does not rain much then the horses will not have a major problem," said Al Tayer.
Another major factor will be the condition of the horses, according to the UAE official.
"The UAE riders know how to slow them in the zone so that when they approach the vet gates they are in the required condition with a low heart rate."
|
