SYDNEY, Dec 8 AAP -

It's an event that will combine gruelling endurance rides across desert and the glamour of Arabian horses and Middle Eastern royalty.
Six Australian riders and their horses will travel to Dubai in January to take on more than 40 other countries in the World Endurance Riding Championships, the premier event in the world's toughest equine sport.

And as the world's equal-top ranked team, Australia is expecting to bring home a medal.
``This is definitely one of the strongest, if not the strongest, endurance riding team we've assembled,'' said Australian squad manager Barb Timms.

Endurance riding is the fastest growing horse sport and is supported by some of the world's richest men.
The championships in January are being held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and hosted by the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Sheikh Mohammed is best known as the owner of the famous Godolphin Racing Stables, a regular contender for the Emirates-sponsored Melbourne Cup, but also a top international endurance rider.

The Sheikh will be riding as part of the Dubai team alongside four of his sons, while his wife, Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, will represent Jordan. At least two family members will be riding Australian-bred horses.

The pure-bred Arabian horse is the breed of choice for endurance riding due to its mental tenacity and its unique physiological ability to travel long distances.
Ironically, the UAE buys about 90 per cent of its Arabian endurance horses from Australia.

The gruelling 160km desert course will be conducted over six legs. At the end of each leg, horses are checked by vets. Australian rider Peter Toft said his team had plenty of experience at desert riding. ``Here in Australia our horses are trained on some of the toughest terrain in the world in weather conditions not dissimilar to the Middle East,'' Mr Toft said. Australia has won medals in every World Equestrian Games but one, and is equal top-ranked with France which, unlike the Australian team, is government funded.

The Australian team comprises Peter and Penny Toft from Marburg near Brisbane, Anne Jones of Cooroy on the Sunshine Coast, Jennifer Gilbertson from Wiseman's Ferry in NSW, and Meg Wade and Kristie McGaffin from Walwa on the Victorian/NSW border.

The Endurance Championships are being held on January 27 at a purpose-built venue near Dubai city.
AAP sp/hu/jlw