March 5, 2012, Houston, Texas ~ TM Fred Texas (Burning Sand x Queen Kong by Kong) capped a stellar racing year as he was awarded Horse of the Year, the crown jewell of the Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival Darley Awards.
At a glittering ceremony held at the JW Marriott in Houston, the 25th anniversary of the Darley Awards, the ‘Oscars’ for Purebred Arabian racing in the US’ – Burning Sand bred horses received awards in three categories: Best Best 4 year colt – TM Fred Texas, Best 4 year old filly – Sanddpiper, and Best Older mare – TM Super Bird.
New International categories were added to the Awards as the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Awards.
Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was honored, as Golden Odessy was named Best 3-year-old filly while Dixie Valentine won the Best Mare award in The HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Awards which honors females in Purebred Arabian racing.
Under this category, Margreet de Ruiter-Floor from the Netherlands was honored as Owner, English trainer Gillian Duffield was named Best Trainer, and Omani jockey Azhar Al Wardi won the Best Jockey award. Australia’s Maureen Milburn won the prestigious HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Lifetime Achievement Award for her service to Arabian racing and received a standing ovation.
Over 200 guests from all over the world attended the awards ceremony which was being held under the umbrella of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival.
HE Omar Al Shamshi, Deputy Chief of Mission at the UAE Embassy in the US, welcomed the gathering. “The introduction of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Awards is a visionary move and reflects the role played by HH Sheikha Fatima in giving equal opportunity to women all over the world. I thank HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs for promoting the Purebred Arabian breed of horses and its activities,” said Al Shamshi.
Horse of the Year TM Fred Texas (Burning Sand x Queen Kong)
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Now owned by Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani |
| 3 YEAR OLD COLT OR GELDING: Born To Boogie MC (Haffier El Rimal x Wikings Delyte), owned by Susan and James Meyer | |
| 3 YEAR OLD FILLY: Golden Odessy (Oh By Gosh x Triple Five), owned by Guy Neivens, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan | |
| 4 YEAR OLD COLT OR GELDING: T M Fred Texas (Burning Sand x Queen Kong), owned by Sam Vasquez, Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al-Thani | |
| 4 YEAR OLD FILLY: Sanddpiper, (Burning Sand x Novelynn) owned by Bill Waldron | |
| OLDER HORSE: Grilla (Kong x Dixie Darlene), owned by Bill Waldron |
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OLDER MARE: TM Super Bird (Burning Sand x Heaven Kan Wait) owned by Teutsch and Hammad Partnership |
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Individual Darley Awards went to: |
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OWNER: Sam Vasquez |
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BREEDER:Todd Moak |
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TRAINER: Ron Martino |
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JOCKEY: Ricardo Santana |
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| HE Omar Al Shamshi, Deputy Chief of Mission at the UAE Embassy in the US gives award to Sam Vasquez |
