ABU DHABI
Speed
HORSE RACING
spirit
REFLECTING THE INCREASING PROFILE OF PUREBRED ARABIAN FLAT RACING, ARABIAN HORSES
MAKE THEIR DEBUT AT ROYAL ASCOT’S PRESTIGIOUS KING GEORGE DAY MEETING
WORDS KATHRYN CLARK
T
all, proud and radiating with spirit, Vain
Hussar was every inch the magnificent
Arabian stallion; every inch deserving
of his status as the most beloved horse of
former UAE President, HH Sheikh Zayed Bin
Sultan Al Nahyan. Vain Hussar’s intelligence,
strength and presence have come to
characterise the ideal Arabian horse: the kind
that were cherished as members of Arabian
families; that bore Bedouins across the sands;
that carried Arabian soldiers into war.
The centuries-old love affair between
Arabian people and Arabian horses finds its
origins in the glaring Middle Eastern deserts
where horse and man relied on each other in
a symbiotic relationship of trust and mutual
respect. While horses are no longer essential
to daily survival, they remain under the skin of
Arabian culture. This relationship is continued
in modern purists that have seen the breed
divide into three veins – endurance horses,
show horses and now race horses.
Deirdre Hyde, former Royal Stables’
manager and Arabian horse expert, says that
while HH Sheikh Zayed had many beautiful
horses in his stables, his preference was
always for the traditional Arabian horse – tall,
fast and functional. Today, thanks partly to his
interests, the traditional Arab is finding a new
future as the only equine breed other than the
thoroughbred deemed talented and athletic
enough for flat racing. As all modern
thoroughbreds trace their lineage back to one
of three Arabian stallions – the Darley Arabian,
the Godolphin Arabian and Byerly Turk – the
increasing prestige of Arabian flat racing is
bringing the Arabian horse full circle.
“The Arabian horse was always the primary
race horse,” Hyde says. “Arabian horses revel
in their own speed. The Prophet Mohammad
used to organise races and there are mentions
in his teachings of the words used for first,
second and third place. The Arabs would race
their horses to prove which was the fastest;
there is a long history of racing Arabians
throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
Because this is the homeland of the Arabian
horse, it is in their mentality to race.”
25 July 2009 will go down in horse racing
history. It will be the first time that a horse
other than a thoroughbred has taken to the
turf at England’s Royal Ascot Racecourse.
The President of the UAE Cup, the world’s
most prestigious purebred Arabian racing
series, which celebrates its 15th anniversary
this year, has secured a place in the line up
for Ascot’s prestigious King George Day race
meeting. “We are delighted to be breaking
new ground,” says Charles Barnett, CEO
Royal Ascot Racecourse. “The King George
is the most important thoroughbred race of
the year and provides the ideal platform for
our inaugural Arab race. We believe that
incorporating this strand of horseracing into
any high profile card is exciting for racegoers
and the wider industry. We saw this as an
opportunity to celebrate the Arabian horses’
contribution to thoroughbred racing and to
portray Ascot in a new light.”
Horses have always offered common
ground between the UAE and the UK – their
mutual passion for thoroughbred racing has
seen the quality of the competition escalate
around the world. As the Arabian flat racing
industry has evolved – largely due to the
injection of Arabian players who have the
interest, passion and finances to nurture this
industry – it was perhaps inevitable that UK
racegoers would one day find Arabian horses
listed on their race day forms. “We needed
something special for the 15th anniversary of
the President’s Cup,” says Taleb Al Muhairi,
General Secretary of the Emirates Equestrian
Foundation. “We approached Royal Ascot to
have it included in King George Day. After
meetings in the UK and UAE, we submitted
our proposal and HM Queen Elizabeth
approved it. To have the President’s Cup
featuring on King George Day, with British and
Arabian royal families in attendance, shows
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the depth of the relationship between the UK
and the UAE. We are very grateful for Her
Majesty’s support and approval. The news
flew around the world – the value of the horses
has increased significantly.”
For Ascot, the President’s Cup was a clear
choice, as the leading Arabian flat race series
which attracts the best Arabian horses from
around the world. This quality was essential
when introducing what will be a new concept
for many UK audiences. “Arabian horses might
look different, but they are raced in the same
way,” says Barnett. “Anyone who is interested
in horses will enjoy Arabian flat racing. The
agreement has been signed for five years,
which is an appropriate amount of time for UK
racegoers to get used to Arabian racing.”
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“Arabian horses might look different, but they are raced in the
same way. Anyone who is interested in horses will enjoy
Arabian flat racing.”
“HH Sheikh Zayed launched the President’s
Cup series to increase awareness of the
purebred Arabian and to demonstrate that
they are not only show horses – they are
racehorses as well, especially as all
thoroughbreds have Arabian lineage,” Al
Muhairi says. “The President’s Cup showcases
Arabian culture and raises awareness about
the UAE and Abu Dhabi in particular.”
The inclusion of Arabian flat racing on the
King George Day form is certainly phenomenal
news for the Arabian flat racing industry. When
Arabian horses race on extraordinary
thoroughbred tracks such as Ascot, it proves
that the industry is coming of age. “When
important races around the world are
sponsored by the UAE royal family, it makes
the world sit up and pay attention to what’s
happening here,” says Hyde. “This international
attention is important.”
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The emergence of Arab players such as
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and
Saudi’s Prince Khaled Bin Sultan was
comparatively recent in the industry, which
had been dominated by France, the US and
Tunisia. However, their influence has been
unquestionably significant. “The catalyst [to
the boom in Arabian flat racing] was the
involvement from Arab players – mainly from
the UAE and Qatar,” says Hyde. “There is a
tremendous rivalry between them; the young
Sheikhs have started getting involved, buying
horses and sponsoring races. Abu Dhabi,
especially, doesn’t have a pre-conception that
the only horse that can race is a thoroughbred.
In the UAE, the industry growth has been
astronomical. Horses have sold for millions of
Euros. There are many new big trainers here
and jockeys come from all over the world.”
While the Arabian will never have the
thoroughbred’s speed, this is an elite pursuit
that demands horsemanship, trust and
commitment. “Arabians are more intelligent
than thoroughbreds; the training has to be
more individualistic – you have to be tactical,”
says Hyde. “If you whip an Arab too much, he
will refuse to work. You have to convince the
horse to work with you.” And that is the
challenge. Ultimately, money is not the
key motivation; it’s about culture, history and a
bond between man and horse. And that’s a
relationship no amount of money can eclipse.
The President of the UAE Cup is race seven,
King George Day, Royal Ascot Racecourse,
25 July 2009. The horses will compete for GBP
50,000 and a trophy of the Darley Arabian.
Etihad Airways is a proud partner of The
President of the UAE Cup, the original Arabian
purebred classic series.