The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s fifth edition of the World Arabian Horse Racing Conference began at the St James Theatre in London concluded on a glittering note at the historic Guildhall in the City of London on Friday night.
HE Abdul Rahman Ghanim Al Mutaiwee, UAE Ambassador to the United Kingdom which played host to the three-day event, presented the Conference flag to HE Asim Mirza Al Rahma, the UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Poland signaling the fact that the 2015 6th edition of the annual World Arabian Horse Racing Conference will be held in Warsas, Poland.
Conference speakers, moderators, officials, Arabian horse racing breeders, UAE endurance riders, members of the media and envoys were felicitated at a dazzling ceremony to mark the end of the three-day conference.
HE Al Mutaiwee along with Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Chairman of Ladies Racing at the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) thanked all the participants.
HE Juma Mubarak Al Junaibi, UAE Ambassador to Germany; HE Asim Mirza Al Rahma, the UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Poland, HE Sheikha najla Al Qassimi, the Ambassador to Sweden, HE Saqr Nasser Ahmed Al Raisi, UAE’s Ambassador to Portugal, HE Abdul Aziz Nasser Al Shamsi, UAE ambassador to Italy, HE Dr. Hessa Abdullah Ahmed Al Otaiba UAE Ambassador to Spain, HE Abdulla Hamdan Al Naqbi, the UAE Ambassador to the The Netherlands, HE Sulaiman Almazroui, Ambassador of the UAE to Belgium and HE Al Asri Saeed Al Dhaheri, Ambassador of the UAE to Morocco and HE Abdul Rahim Al Awadi from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were all felicitated and honoured for their support to the Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival.
Earlier on Friday, in the WAHRC Workshop at the conference, Ms Lara Sawaya announced that from the next season the UAE breeders will be rewarded with a percentage of the prize money earmarked for the Wathba Stud Farm Cup races held in the UAE. “We will allot an extra amount for this purpose and this will go to breeders whenever their horse wins,” she said and also said the Festival would forward the problems of the UAE breeders to the concerned authorities.
IFAHR Chairman Sami Boenian also confirmed that the launch of an all-comprehensive database/website would be finalized soon.
The need to help the breeders, woo youngsters to Purebred Arabian racing, make efforts to ease the transport of horses between nations were some of the other topics that the workshop decided to continue working on.
Saturday will see the action shift to the Newbury racecourse with the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Listed) race and the H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship races.
The H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup is a Listed PA event with a total prize fund of, £70,000 while the H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship with a prize fund of £25,000 makes it the richest ever race for ladies to be held here in the UK.
ENDURANCE ON SUNDAY
The fifth and final day of action in the 5- HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s World Arabian Horse Racing Conference will be at King’s Forest in Tetford.
The ride is open to Purebred Arabian horses and a strong team of riders includy lady riders friom the UAE will be taking part in the CEI One star*100km HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed al Nahyan Endurance Cup.
The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR and Emirates Arabian Horse Society, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare with Arabtec Holding PJSC as the Official Partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers and sponsored by Invest AD, Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Rashid Investment, Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Al Wathba Centre, the UAE’s General Women’s Union, the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2014, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Abu Dhabi Sports Channel and Racing Post.