WEG Endurance: Second placed horse wins Best Condition award

Marijke Visser and Laiza de Jalima

French bred mare Laiza de Jalima, who was ridden to second place in the 160km endurance competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, has been awarded the prestigious Best Condition title.

Ridden by Marijke Visser of The Netherlands,  the 10-year-old mare is owned by Dubai’s Sheikh Abdulla Bin Faisal Bin Saqr Al Qassimi.

She completed the tough Normandy track in a total riding time of 08:19:07, and she was one of only two horses whose heart rates at the vet checks remained under 60 for the entire ride.

“She’s a little mare, a tiny one in fact, but absolutely a joy to ride, very courageous and capable of big results,”  Marijke Visser said after the awards ceremony, which was held in front of a jammed-packed D’Ornano Stadium.

Bred in France by Jean-Claude Guillaume, a few kilometers from Monaco, the mare, sired by Ismael d’Aubanel, was sent to the United Arab Emirates just before turning seven. Her preparation for the Games, took place in Belgium with Emile Docquier.