Executive Meeting held in Abu Dhabi

IFHRA General Assembly in November

The fourth meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) held at the Eastern Mangroves Hotel in Abu Dhabi  on Tuesday, September 8, announced that the Annual General Assembly of the Abu Dhabi-headquartered body will be held on November 4, 2015.

Earlier Dr. Abdulla Elreyes, Director-General of the UAE National Archives, Ministry of Presidential Affairs, opened the meeting with a minute’s silence for the 45 UAE troops who were martyred in the Yemen war.

Apart from Dr. Abdulla Elreyes, Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Director of International Promotion at Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority management, Alhan Ahmed, representing Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, Ahmed Al Fahim, Executive Director of Sales and Marketing at the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), Remi Bellocq, General Secretary of IFHRA, Pat Buckley, Vice-President of IFHRA and Ms Lara Sawaya , Chairperson of the IFHRA,  Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Chairman of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities and representatives of IFHRA member countries attended the meeting.

Dr. Reyes highlighted the support of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs  and  Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and Head of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, for their vision and support to Purebred Arabian horse racing and equestrian sport in general. 

Mr. Remi Bellocq read out the minutes of the third meeting of the IFHRA Executive Committee held in Warsaw, Poland and the same was adopted.

IFHRA member-countries were urged to submit the names of deserving Apprentice jockeys for the IFHRA Racing Scholarship Fund (RSF) and a final list will be decided in the coming months.

The issue of insurance for the participants and the agenda for the IFHRA meeting in November were also the highlights of the meeting.

The model of the IFHRA website was also shown and discussed at the meeting which had participants also using Skype tocontribute their views.

Ms Sawaya, the IFHRA Chairperson, said over 1200 invitees will be taking part in the November 3 to November 8 year-ending extravaganza of the Festival and said it was a good opportunity for the nearly 400-plus jockeys to experience the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Conference for Education and Training.

“We will be making more announcements over the next three days on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) 2015,” 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 / Bharathi Gowda

Photo: Morhaf Al Assaf