HRH The Countess of Wessex and Lara Sawaya

14 November 2017, London ~ On Monday 13 November 2017 at a private reception held at Buckingham Palace, the London residence of Queen Elizabeth II, the Global Ambassador of the Women of the Future programme, Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex, received Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, General Manager of Wathba Stallions, 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), to discuss the recent activities of the Festival and its 10-year anniversary celebrations.

As category sponsors of the prestigious Women of the Future Awards, which takes place at London’s Hilton Park Lane Hotel on Wednesday, 15 November 2017, the event welcomed Lara Sawaya together with VIP guests, sponsors and dignitaries of the Awards to the Bow Room, an exclusive State Room at the Palace used for entertaining private audiences of The Queen and British Royals.

Following the Festival’s week-long program of Arabian horseracing activities in Abu Dhabi between from 7-12 November 2017, which saw 12-year-old British rider Mia Ann Nicholls win the inaugural HH Sheikha Lateefa Bint Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan International Pony Race Final, The Countess was delighted to learn about the Festival’s ongoing efforts to develop and encourage the careers of young jockeys, together with promoting the success of female riders as part of the world-renowned HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship race series.

Thanks to the Festival’s involvement in the Women of the Future Awards this will be the second consecutive year horseracing has achieved representation in the Sport category shortlist, with Professional National Hunt and Flat jockey Alice Mills qualifying for selection in 2016, and Amateur National Hunt and Flat jockey Page Fuller in the running to receive this year’s award.

Lara Sawaya commented, “It was a special moment for the Festival to be received at Buckingham Palace by Her Royal Highness and commended for the work of HH 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.

“The Festival’s sponsorship of the Women of the Future Sport Award is reflective of the collective dedication of HH Sheikh Mansoor and HH Sheikha Fatima to support women of all ages and backgrounds, not only in horseracing but across all sports.

“We wish Page Fuller the best of luck tomorrow and would like to congratulate our first HH Sheikha Lateefa Bint Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan International Pony Race Champion, Mia Ann Nicholls, for her inspirational achievements in Abu Dhabi last week.”

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