SETIU: It was sweet success for Mohd Bulkhari Rozali when he finally won the Tuanku Mizan Cup’s 120km equestrian endurance race after three years of competing.
The win also propelled the 2017 Kuala Lumpur Sea Games representative to the top of the rankings of equestrian endurance riders in Malaysia.
Bulkhari won the individual title, ahead of South Korean rider Brian Seo Bheom and Asri Abdul Aziz, to bag RM20,000 at the Terengganu International Equestrian Park in Lembah Bidong.
Bulkhari rewrote his own 2014 championships record when he sliced off about four minutes, with his new time of 6:12.32 seconds after completing the race with an average speed of 19.33km per hour.
He also helped Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable (RTES) ‘A’, which include Seo, Asri and Shahrul Affendy Ahmad, win the team title in a total of 21 hours and 33 minutes.
Bulkhari, 29, said that he had been attempting to win the title, but was outwitted by more accomplished riders in previous years.
“This time around, I was confident of tasting success, as I and my horse Rtes Annaversary, a 15-year-old male studbook, were in good shape and stead.
“Despite the wet and slippery conditions following a heavy downpour, I and my horse kept our composure to win comfortably,” said Bulkhari, whose animal also won the ‘Best Conditioned Horse’ award to bag RM25,000, a trophy and a saddle.
The prizes were presented by Tengku Seri Temenggong Raja Tengku Datuk Seri Baharuddin Sultan Mahmud, the younger brother of the Terengganu ruler.
Bulkhari said that he knew victory was in sight after leading the race in the early stages.
The effort proved that Bulkhari is the rider to watch in upcoming equestrian endurance races, more so as he is now the number one ranked in the country.
At the Sea Games’ 80km equestrian endurance race, Bulkhari secured the individual silver and helped Malaysia win the team gold, alongside Terengganu Sultan Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, Mohammad Fuad Hashim, Mohd Adhwa Embong and Azizatul Asma Abdullah – all from Terengganu – and Mohd Yusran Yusuf from Kelantan.
Tuanku Mizan also won the 80km equestrian endurance individual gold.
Bulkhari is scheduled to compete in the National Horse Show Endurance Challenge at the Selangor Turf Club on Nov 3-4; and another event organised by the police at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park, Serdang (Maeps) in Selangor, towards the middle of next month.