Apprentice jockeys get their penultimate chance to book a berth in the November 8 final

HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship race in Tarbes on Sunday

Apprentice jockeys get their penultimate chance to book a berth in the final of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship race when eight of them faceoff in a 1500-metre contest in Tarbes in France on Sunday, October 11, 2015.

This is the 8th leg of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s  HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship series with the last one scheduled to be held in Sao Paulo in Brazil on October 25.

Anna Gil will ride Shen, Manuel Fernandes will be on Kardoos, Georgia Cox on Forgehill Cartier, Niven Marday on Paxan, Isis Magnin on Burj Al Arab, Omar Lakjal on Cristal De Ghazal, Georgina Voros on Vedette De Lagrimodi and Fredrik Janetzky on Mesk De Bozouls in the 1500-metre race.

“Australia’s Ben Thompson, Belgium’s Zoe Vande Velde, Puerto Rico’s Jomar Torres Roman, Italian Andrea Fele, Irishman Ian Queally, Canada’s Brandon Duchaine and Russian Emil Kunakbaev are the seven Apprentice jockeys who have already won in the earlier rounds and will be joined by the winners of the Tarbes and Sao Paulo rounds in the grand finale on November 8 in Abu Dhabi,” said Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA)  and Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR).

“Apprentice jockeys have benefitted since the time we introduced the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship series and all those who participated in this year’s series will be invited to the UAE for the November 3-9, ‘One World, 6 Continents’ finale of the Festival, in Abu Dhabi. In fact we are expecting around 450 jockeys to be in attendance during the final week during which we also have the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Conference on Education and Training (IFAHR)” she added.

“All this will add up to a great and learning experience for the Apprentice, Lady and other jockeys who will be attending,” Ms Sawaya said.

The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is sustained by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare with The National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers and sponsored by Invest AD, National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing Co. LLC, Bloom, Petromal, Rise General Trading Co. LLC, Hayatna, Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC),  Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Al Wathba Centre, the UAE's General Women's Union, The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2015, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Yas Channel, Omeir Travels, Racing Post and Laboratories Fadia Karam Cosmetics.

Source: HH SH Mansoor Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival / Satya Narayan
Photo: Morhaf Al Assaf