HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Fourth World Arabian Horse Racing Conference opens in Toulouse, France on Thursday

Some of the Purebred Arabian Racing world’s top officials, experts, veterinarians, trainers and jockeys will be participating in the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Fourth World Arabian Horse Racing Conference which begins at Centre de Congrès Pierre Baudis in Toulouse, France on Thursday, June 6.

“The inaugural event was held in Abu Dhabi in 2010 the next in The Hague in The Netherlands in 2011 and last year we staged it in Berlin,” said Ms Lara Sawaya, Director of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Head of International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) Ladies Racing.

“We thank His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister 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 who have consistently followed and supported the activities of the Festival including this important conference.

“HE Mohammed Meer El Raessi, the UAE Ambassador to France will inaugurate the Fourth World Arabian Horse Racing Conference on Thursday morning after which the three-day event will get started with morning session on Breeding,” she said.

Derek Thompson, one of UK’s top racing commentators, will moderate the opening session with Marie Ange Bourdette (France), Khalid Al Naboodah (UAE), Ali Al Haddad (Iraq), Kathy Smoke and Sam Vasquez (US), Catarina Genberg (Sweden), Gulnar Gullerce (Turkey) and Martial Boisseuil (France) being the speakers.

The afternoon session on the opening day will focus on Vetting and Nutrition and the UK’s Liz Price will moderate this session which has attracted speakers in the form of Dr Gonzalo Aebornoz (Argentine), Dr Sefian Alami (Morocco), Dr Robert La Caze and Dr Frank Penide (France), Mariam Al Shenazi (UAE), Dr Gulsah Kaya Kanasi (Turkey), Dr Andrew Dalgleish (Scotland) and Dr Mohammed Al Machmoum (Morocco).

Mr. Patrick Buckley, the 1966 Grand National winner will moderate the ‘Racing and Training’ session to complete the opening day. The speakers at this session are Georgina Ward  (UK/ Oman), Jean Francois Bernard and Jerome Rambaud (France), Stephen Higgins (UK), Ernest Oertel (South Africa), Karen Van Den Bos ( Holland), Sultan Khalifa (UAE), Gillian Duffield (UK) and Faysal Al Rahmani (UAE ).

“After the inaugural and three sessions of deliberations, we will be hosting all delegates and invitees to a ‘Welcoming Dinner’ at L' hotel d'Assézat Fondation Bemberg on Thursday night,” Ms Sawaya said.

“We are eagerly waiting for the start of what we are sure will be another milestone conference in promoting Arabian racing as well as enhancing the status of the Arabian horse the world over,” she said.

The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is organized by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and co-ordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR and Emirates Arabian Horse Society, supported by General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare and Fegentri with Emirates airlines as the official carrier and sponsored by Invest AD Arabtec Holding PJSC, Al Rashid Investment, Areej Al Ameerat, 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 2013, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Wathba Stud Farm, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Hotel and SPA and Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah and Galleries Lafayette.