EIEV Global Endurance Series Heads to Slovakia for Its Sixth Round
Mdmar – Šamorín
The Emirates International Endurance Village Global Series continues its ambitious international journey, with attention now turning to Šamorín, Slovakia, which will host the sixth round of the global series following the success of the fifth round in Romania.
The Slovakian leg underlines the growing international presence of the UAE on the global endurance racing scene and continues the momentum of a series designed to bring together riders, horses, national federations and organisers across several continents.
The Slovakia round will be staged at x-bionic® sphere in Šamorín under the title EIEV Global Endurance Series – Challenge Ride 2026, with competitions scheduled to take place from 25 to 27 September 2026.
The round comes only days after the conclusion of the fifth leg in Buftea, Romania, where Romanian rider Oana Maria Popescu, aboard Kahilan, claimed victory in the 160km competition after completing the five phases in 11 hours, 42 minutes and 34 seconds.
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Following the Romanian round, Šamorín was officially confirmed as the sixth stop of the EIEV Global Endurance Series.
Strong International Programme in Šamorín
The Slovakia round features a strong and diverse programme of international endurance competitions over distances ranging from 100km to 160km.
The programme includes a CEI3 160km* competition, a CEI3 140km* ride, a CEI2 120km* event and a CEI1 100km* competition.
The schedule also includes competitions for Junior and Young Riders over 100km and 120km, in addition to an international team competition over 120km.
The Junior and Young Riders 120km competition is scheduled for Friday, 25 September, while Saturday, 26 September, will feature the main programme, including the prestigious 160km event, before the meeting concludes on Sunday, 27 September.
Šamorín: A Major Endurance Destination
The sixth round carries additional significance as it will be hosted at x-bionic® sphere, one of Slovakia’s leading equestrian and sporting venues.
The world-class complex has extensive facilities for international equestrian competitions, including multiple arenas, hundreds of stables and specialist infrastructure designed to accommodate horses, riders, officials and support teams.
Šamorín has established itself as an important venue on the international endurance calendar and continues to host a number of major competitions throughout the 2026 season.
The Challenge Ride in September is expected to be one of the highlights of the venue’s endurance programme.
A Global Journey That Began in France
The Emirates International Endurance Village launched its global series in June 2026 as part of an ambitious initiative extending over six months and featuring events in 11 countries.
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The project was created to strengthen cooperation with national federations and organising bodies, while supporting the growth and international development of endurance riding.
The original programme included rounds in France, Portugal, Argentina, South Africa, Namibia, Chile, Romania, Slovakia, Uruguay, Spain and Greece.
The series began in Compiègne, France, where UAE riders produced impressive performances during the opening round.
It then moved to Bragado, Argentina, for the second leg, which featured nine endurance competitions over different distances under the supervision of the International Equestrian Federation.
The global series later travelled to Africa for its third round in Fauresmith, South Africa, highlighted by the renowned 207km endurance marathon staged over three days and eight phases.
South African rider Michael Cloete emerged victorious in that demanding competition.
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The fourth stop took place in Llay-Llay, Chile, where Chilean rider Alisa Rios, aboard Hile Fasina Rosa, claimed victory in the 160km competition.
The series then moved to Buftea, Romania, for the fifth round before continuing its European journey to Slovakia.
From Romania to Slovakia
The quick transition from Romania to Slovakia demonstrates the continuous momentum of the EIEV Global Endurance Series, with less than a week separating the two rounds.
It also reflects the international character of the initiative, bringing together different endurance riding traditions from Europe, South America and Africa.
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The Šamorín round provides another opportunity to strengthen the global presence of the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba and to showcase the UAE’s extensive experience in organising and developing endurance sport.
The initiative also reflects the UAE’s commitment to expanding international cooperation and exchanging expertise with national federations, organisers and the International Equestrian Federation.
When the global series was launched, Musallam Al Ameri, Director General of the Emirates International Endurance Village, stressed that the initiative aims to strengthen cooperation with national federations and organising bodies in host countries while enhancing coordination with the International Equestrian Federation.
The broader objective is to support the global endurance ecosystem and contribute to the continued development of the sport at international level.
With the series now reaching its sixth stop in Šamorín, the Emirates International Endurance Village Global Series continues to expand its international footprint after five rounds across several continents.
The championship is increasingly establishing itself as a global platform bringing together riders, horses and organisers under one banner while carrying the UAE’s name and its distinguished endurance heritage to major international
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The “Mdmar” website which was Founded by Khaled Makhlouf in 2007 for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
