By Anne Brown, for "Crabbet News" 2005

Hachim, a pure Crabbet bred here at Gadebrook Stud, has won the World Endurance Championship in record time, making him the fastest horse in the world over the 100-mile distance.
The World Championship, held every two years, and run under FEI rules, was hosted this year by Dubai and attracted a record entry of 183 horses from 41 countries. Although 10 had dropped out by the start, the scrum for the "off" at 6 o'clock in the morning in the dark of the desert still took a little sorting.

But Hachim led from the start, ably ridden by HH Sheikh Hazza bin Sultan al Nahyan, whose father, HH Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi, had bought Hachim from me four years ago for his W'rsan Stables.

Wearing the colours of the UAE team, although riding as an individual, HH Sheikh Hazza set a cracking pace in the first of the six race loops, each interspersed with a vet check and compulsory rest time. He arrived back at the vet check first and left first for the second loop. In fact, he was never out of the first five home.

Looking alert, keen and fighting fit, Hachim carried his young rider over the deep sand tracks of the desert at paces alternating between ground-covering trot and easy canter. The January temperature was coolly kind, only reaching any heat around midday.

I was privileged to join the crew vehicle for the last 50 miles, bumping over the dunes at 40mph and snatching photos while Rashid, the driver or Sayeed the 'water boy' dashed on to the course to pass a bottle to HH Sheikh Hazza, relay race-style. He would gulp some for himself, pour some along Hachim's neck, gulp some more then discard the bottle. He must have gone through 50 bottles during the race; multiply that by 173 riders (although many were vetted out before the finish), and you have some idea of the plastic now littering the Dubai desert!

The 'rest' periods resembled a Formula One pit stop. W'rsan's chief vet, Marcello Grillo from Brazil, poured electrolytes down Hachim's throat, a Spanish farrier checked that the packing under each shoe was still safely in place, Drees, his Moroccan groom, bathed him down, another swathed his legs in bandages, then poured cooling water inside to ease tendons, and a third fed him carrots in water to ensure he drank to replenish some of the fluids and energy he so had so willingly expended.

Once refreshed and with the low heart-beat for which Crabbet horses are so renowned, he sailed through each vetting and faced the final lap with a strong chance of winning.

Then behind him, from out of the desert haze at the 98-mile mark, the French rider Barbara Lissarague suddenly appeared on her excellent part-Arab Georgat, making it a race to the line. But Hachim powered away with energy to spare.

Then, for one heart-stopping moment, he seemed to lose his way as intruding cars blocked his view of the route-markers. But he was soon back on track. He approached the final straight to face ecstatic crowds throwing their caps in the air, pounding their car door panels, yelling "Ha-chim, Ha-chim, Ha-chim," and almost jumping out of their skins with excitement.

As Hachim galloped towards the Finish, his eyes bright and his tail held high, Rashid slammed the Toyota into a sand-dune, Sayeed grabbed the UAE flag from the back of the vehicle and jumped on to the course to thrust it into the sheikh's outstretched hand.

Without breaking stride and with the huge flag billowing around his pricked ears, Hachim proudly carried the colours of his new country to victory, almost a minute ahead of his French rival.

Supporters rushed up from all sides with congratulations. "Mabruk, mabruk," they shouted.

"He's not won until they vet him clear," I cautioned. But not only did he pass the final vetting sound as a bell, his overall score won him a coveted Best Conditioned Award, an acknowledgment not only of the horse's stamina and the rider's care, but also the brilliant attention of his dedicated vets and crew who ensured his well-being throughout the grueling race.

And to crown it all, official word came through that Hachim had completed that final 15km lap at a shattering 31 km per hour average. Well done, Sheikh Hazza; well done, Hachim!

For more photos of Hachim's win in the World Endurance Championship, click on:

HACHIM, was bred at Gadebrook Arabian Stud in 1994, sired by the stud's own Achim's Silver Magic (Silver Fahd x Soumana of Fairfield) and out of the gentle Hamsfah (Hanif x Marufah) bred by Geoffrey Plaister. Hachim was licensed at two and covered four Gadebrook mares over the following two years, siring four fillies: two bays (now 8), a grey and a chestnut (both now 7).

Three of these four have already started successful Endurance careers. Zaha (out of Zaharina by Ludomino, so 99.2% Crabbet), already at advanced level after just two seasons, is currently on maternity leave in foal to Indian Banner (she produced a colt, sold to Abu Dhabi); Magic Fire (100% Crabbet) out of Nishtar by Jubilee Star won the 2004 Wessex Novice Trophy for the highest points at Wessex rides, finishing with 7 grade 1's and a grade 2; and Hadith out of Someone Special (so over 75% Crabbet) has made her debut this year. Magic Sheen out of Crystal Sheen (Crystal Magician x Silver Sheen) remains at Gadebrook under instruction from Three-Day Event winner Trish Polson (since sold to Abu Dhabi).

At just four, trained by show-jumper Paul Nunn, Hachim sailed through the tough two-day NaStA Stallion Performance Grading with the highest points of all Arabian stallions tested that year, and was also awarded Premium Stallion status. Hachim is still the youngest-ever pure-bred to be honoured with an AHS Premium.

Paul jumped Hachim under BSJA rules for a season, adding to his ribbon count. Then Hachim moved to a race-training yard for experience on the Flat at six where, after just two races, he was given a massive 55 rating, a compliment to the horse but a severe handicap against much more experienced horses. Nevertheless, he caught the eye of the ambitious al Nahyan family.

Hachim was gelded for his life in Abu Dhabi where he has achieved many victories including a time-shattering win in the 2002 Bahrain Endurance Race. He is now the star of the stables at W'rsan Farm, cared for by a dedicated team of vets and grooms and ridden by HH Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed's sons, Sheikh Hazza and Sheikh Khalid.

Hachim's half-brother Magic Domino (Ludomino x Hamsfah), also bred at Gadebrook, is now a "Living Legend" in the USA, an honour bestowed only once every 25 years and to only six horses out of 65,000 Arabs in America. Magic Domino is the first horse from overseas ever awarded the title, and the only 100% Crabbet.
Another half-brother on his sire's side, Magic Phantom, bred at Gadebrook by Achim's Silver Magic out of Someone Special (so over 75% Crabbet) and trained by stud groom Jackie Pringle for the Flat, gained a 1st, a 2nd and two 3rds in just four races. What a horse - and what a trainer!

Copyright Anne Brown 2006