MULAWA ANGELUS | Top 15 in Normandy MULAWA ANGELUS | Top 15 in Normandy MULAWA ANGELUS | Top 15 in Normandy
MULAWA ANGELUS | Top 15 in Normandy MULAWA ANGELUS | Top 15 in Normandy

MULAWA ANGELUS | Top 15 in Normandy

Exciting news from the World Equestrian Games in Normandy! Enduring what became a grueling course set in the Bay of Mont St. Michel in a series of mud-slogged loops, several Australian horses and riders were amongst the 38 riders (from the 170 who started) to finish the 160 km race.

Mulawa is most proud of MULAWA ANGELUS, an 11 year old gelding sired by Australian & Brazilian National Champion TS AL MALIK and out the invaluable Mulawa foundation mare M ANGELIQUE. Competing under the flag of Thailand for owner Mr. Prutirat Rattanakul Serireongrith, ANGELUS was once again in top form with rider Wipawan Pawitayalarp in the saddle. Well positioned in 33rd place after the first loop, ANGELUS and Wipawan strategically maneuvered the most challenging pair of loops comprising the first half of the course to move within striking distance of the top riders in the more picturesque final loops along the French coastline. Greg, Julie, Jane & Katharine were present in Jullouville on the coast to cheer ANGELUS and Wipawan on to a strong Top 20 position in 14th place with a total riding time of 09:55:49.

ANGELUS's owner was also in the saddle at WEG competing as the only other rider for Thailand on Shardell Prince Ali. Together, the team finished in 34th place with a total riding time of 10:57:54. 

This was the biggest competition to date for ANGELUS and Wipawan, who had previously been two time winners of the Sultan Mizan Cup in Thailand over a distance of 120 km. In preparation for the all important Endurance Final at WEG, ANGELUS & Wipawan had been training in France since early 2014, finishing third at both Pontonx sur l'Adour (120 km) and Fontainebleau (90 km) and in 13th place at the only other 160 km competition at Compiègne in May.    

Team Australia also had reason to be proud on Thursday as two of the four team members were amongst the 38 finishers. Teen sensation Alexandra Toft finished a most impressive 19th on the home-bred Charlotte TE in 10:11:23, while Sasha Laws-King finished 33rd with a time of 10:48:53. Individual Gold went to HE Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed al Maktoum of the UAE on another Australian-bred Yamamah with a winning time of 8:08:28, ahead of Holland's Marijke Visser in Silver and Qatar's Abdulrahman Saad A.S al Sulaiteen in Bronze. Spain won the Team Gold ahead of the host country France in Silver, with Team Switzerland finishing most impressively in Bronze. Another reason to celebrate was the success of each of the individual medal winners who won on purebred Arabians, including Best Condition Award winner Laiza de Jalima, the mount for Silver Medalist Marijke Visser. Congratulations to all the winners and finishers in the endurance competition at WEG!

Mulawa is incredibly proud of the success of MULAWA ANGELUS as an endurance horse. Notably, ANGELUS is a full brother to the exceptional broodmare ON ANGELS WINGS, the dam of three Australian Champions: GOLD N WINGS, MULAWA BRONZE WINGS and SOVEREIGN WINGS. Each of these all-around athletes have been multi-champions in both halter and especially performance, dominating consistently at the highest level across Australia for the past several seasons. The Spanish-Crabbet influence of TS AL MALIK has profoundly impacted Arabian breeding in Australia, not only through his prolific daughters but through his two exceptional sons, especially Australian icon KLASS and the late PARKVIEW AUDACIOUS. The profound impact of M ANGELIQUE grows exponentially with each passing season, with descendants achieving at the highest level around the world, such as US Reserve National Champion ALWAYS VALENTINE MI and the reigning unanimous Canadian National Champion Mare VALENTINO'S ANGEL MI. With each passing season the legacy of both M ANGELIQUE and TS AL MALIK continues to become more influential around the world as the consistent source of quality Arabians with exceptional athletic ability. 

Thank you Mr. Serireongrith and Wipawan Pawitayalarp for preparing and promoting MULAWA ANGELUS to his success at WEG. We are indebted to your care and support of this wonderful horse and his ability. Congratulations on all your success and best of luck as you continue to succeed with ANGELUS around the world!