Over 500 guests from 81 countries to attend 7th edition of World Arabian Horse Racing Conference

Rome hosts HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival event from May 26 onwards

The focus will once again be on Purebred Arabian racing when the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival stages the 7th edition of the three-day World Arabian Horse Racing Conference (WAHRC) in Rome, Italy from May 26, 2016.

Over 500 guests from 81 countries representing the six continents will be participating in the WAHRC which will be held at the Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The Conference will be followed by the ‘Emirates Race Day’ at the Capanelle race course during which the Festival will stage three of its main races- the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Listed) race, the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship race and the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship race.

Details of the Conference and the Emirates Race day along with the draw of horses and jockeys for the ladies and Apprentice races were held on Wednesday with HE Saqr Ahmed Al Raisi, the UAE Ambassador to Italy addressing the press conference along with others.

“We thank the Italian horse racing body, the Government agencies including the Ministry of Agriculture and other organizations that have been co-operating and co-ordinating with us to make this WAHRC happen,” HE Al Raisi said.

"The Festival has set a high standard in the previous six editions of the World Arabian Horse Racing Conference and we hope we make this event an even more rewarding and memorable experience for all those visiting participants," he said.

Giving details of the Conference, Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of Int'l Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) and Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) said the delegates will be hosted at the Vatican Galleries and for the first time the UAE flag will be flying high at the Vatican.

“The Italian officials have been very co-operative and on the opening day night the Lancers of Montebello will host the delegates while on final day of the conference the Pincio Park will be closed to the public to allow the Festival to have a Gala Awards Dinner,” she said.

“We also would like to announce that the Al Aweer Stables owned by Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda will join us as partners in the Festival.”

“The Emirates Race day on May 29 will, apart from the three Festival races, also feature a section that will focus on making it a family event. This is the first time that this Italian racecourse will be hosting Arabian racing fraternity members from 81 countries,” Ms Sawaya said.

Dr. Abdulla Elreyes, Director-General of the UAE National Archives, Ministry of Presidential Affairs said, “The Festival presence at the Vatican reflects the UAE’s pursuit of peace and we are doing this through the Arabian horse racing fraternity of the world.”
The IFAHR chief Sami Al Bouenien said, “The IFAHR thanks the Festival as we will be also having our meetings of various IFAHR sub committees on the sidelines of the WAHRC.”

“IFAHR is better known now since the Festival began staging its events all over the globe and I thank the UAE and HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs for the support to IFAHR and promoting Arabian racing in the IFAHR member countries,” the Qatari said.

The National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing are main sponsors of the WAHRC and its representative Edouard Hamad said, “We only play a small part in making this Festival a great success. This Festival carries the noble causes from the UAE to the rest of the world.”

Nadim Lahad of Emirates airline said, “Emirates airline and the Festival have something in common. We introduced the UAE to the world through our routes while the HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival not only promotes the UAE but also carries the UAE culture to the world. Perhaps after the UN it is only here that you see so many countries represented in one event!” 

Mubarak Al Nuaimi of TCA Abu Dhabi said, “In early days Abu Dhabi was not that well known but now it is not only one of the main tourist cities of the world but is also known for its culture and sporting activities. We are happy to partner the Festival in promoting these aspects of the UAE.”

Yas TV chief Yakoob Al Saadi said the Festival, with around 103 hours of live broadcasting through Yas TV, was very popular. “We are proud to partner the Festival as it plays a prime role in promoting our traditional sport to the world,” Al Saadi said.

“The WAHRC is an important event as it deals with various aspects of Arabian racing and different challenges it faces. It also attempts to find solutions to the problems and we are looking forward to this event,” said Essam Abdulla, Chief of Emirates Arabian Horse Society.

ADEC chief Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi and Mussalam Al Amri of Al Jazeera Stables hailed the support of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan 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 the success of the Festival while Khalid Hussein of the General Authority of Youth & Sports Welfare said the Festival was highly successful in achieving the aims of HH Sheikh Mansoor.

Ahmed Al Qubeisi of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council said, “We are proud to partner the Festival as it promotes both the capital city of Abu Dhabi as well as Equestrian sport that are part of our heritage.”

Marco Oppo, the Racing Director of Capenelli race course and Danilo di Caprio also representing the race course said it will be a big day for Arabian racing on May 29. “For 12 years we have been organizing Arabian racing and only last year we joined IFAHR. Sunday will be the beginning of a long relationship with Arabian races,” di Caprio said.

“Italy is not only famous for its fashion and food but also for horse racing. Now is the moment to open an important page for Arabian horse racing,” Oppo said.

Annalisa Landuci, representing the Italian Arabian Racing body promised that the WAHRC will be organized in the best possible way, in keeping with the status it enjoys while Alessandro Cabella, General Manager of the Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria Hotel said, “It is our enhanced pleasure and privilege to host this great Conference in our hotel. We welcome you all to the eternal city that Rome is.”

The WAHRC 2016 opens tomorrow, May 26, with the following three sessions – Breeding; Racing and Training; and Weight Loss Control (jockeys).

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, with National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing Co. LLC as associate sponsors, IPIC as Strategic Partner, The  National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers, in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare  and sponsored by Al Aweer Stables, Ayadii LLC, Global United Veterinary Services LLC, Bloom, Petromal, Rise General Trading Co. LLC, Hayatna, Wathba Stallions, Abu Dhabi Falconers Club, Emirates Falconers Club,  Mohamed Bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Omeir Travels, Dr Nader Saab Switzerland, Laboratories Fadia Karam Cosmetics, YAS Channel, Racing Post, Paris Turf,  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 2016, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Anantara Eastern Mangroves Spa and Resort.

Source: HH SH Mansoor Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival / Satya Narayan
Photo: Cidinha Franzão and Nilza Felice