It takes a special bond between horse and rider to compete in a 100-mile-long race. For professional endurance rider Uma Mencia Uranga, it’s a bond that began in childhood in the Basque Country of northern Spain and eventually led her to pursue a riding career in Dubai.
Today, she lives a busy but fulfilling life in Dubai, with mornings spent at school in the city center, and afternoons training in the breathtaking landscape nearby. Ten years after moving to the city, Uranga is at home in Dubai. She says, “When I came to Dubai, my world was very much centered around the horse. When you are riding for a long distance, I think you go through a big range of human emotions.
My favourite moment is when you feel there is synergy, that the horse is working comfortably, and that you’re becoming one.” The way the rider describes her passion and the desert is so poetic and makes you want to go there and try it. Watch the video and learn more!