Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his three sons, of the United Arab Emirates, galloped to the team gold medal and the individual gold and bronze medals at the European Open Endurance Championships on Aug. 26. The race was held in Compiegne, France.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, riding Georgat, won the individual title by literally a nose, edging out Kristel van den Abeele of Belgium, riding Chanice du Tilleul, in a race to the wire. Their average speed was 10.23 mph.

Less than a minute later, Hamdan\’s brother, Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, grabbed third, riding Orcara. Sheikh Mohammed, who won the bronze medal in January\’s World Championships, finished 22nd this time. His third son, Ahmed, the 2002 World Champion, didn\’t finish. Consequently, it took the elimination, for lameness, of Belgian rider Leonard Liessen\’s horse in the post-ride veterinary inspection to put the UAE on top.

Belgium, whose riders claimed the bronze at the World Championships, held on for the team silver, ahead of France.

Van den Abeele was awarded the European Championship gold medal, with French teammates Elodie Le Labourier and Geraldine Brault taking the silver and bronze. Switzerland claimed the team bronze in the European-restricted section.

Georgat is the horse Barbara Lissarrague of France rode to second place in the January World Championships. Lissarrague finished ninth this time, on Persiah.

Some 60 of the 110 horses from 27 nations completed the race, a percentage of 54.5 percent. The winners\’ average speed was almost 4 mph slower than at the World Championships, held in Dubai, UAE. But only 35 percent of those starters finished.