HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival helps Seville stage its first-ever Listed race
2 May, 2018, Madrid, Spain ~ As part of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Global Arabian Racing Festival, Seville will host its first ever Listed horse race and will also be the venue for the HH Sheikha Lateefa Bint Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Pony International race series. The week’s events are part of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s annual World Arabian Horse Racing Forum (WAHRF) which opened in Madrid on Tuesday, 1 May 2018.
The above events along with a series of others were announced at a press conference held at Eurostars Madrid Tower Hotel on Tuesday evening with the UAE Ambassador to Spain Dr. Hessa Al Oteiba giving a welcoming speech to all attendees.
It was announced that some very important subjects connected with Purebred Arabian horse racing as well as general racing topics will be discussed during the Forum sessions. At the end of the 3 days, there will be a workshop to allow further exploration of the important issues.
Also this time we have added an exhibition showcasing the deeds of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan to mark the Year of Zayed-100 years since his birth, the Father of the UAE.
On Saturday, 5 May, a 100-mile endurance ride to mark 100 years of Zayed will be held along with a HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Nations Cup Endurance ride in which a UAE team will also be participating.
Festival Director, Lara Saways offered: “On May 5 the Festival will be staging the Year Of Zayed Race Day, a flat race meeting at the Gran Hippodrome De L’Andalucia race course in Seville. The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup will be the feature event and will go down in history as Seville’s first ever Listed race. The three–race meeting will also feature a race of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship series while the third race will be the opening leg of the 10-race newly-added HH Sheikha Lateefa Bint Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Pony International race series.”
“The winners of each of the HH Sheikha Lateefa Pony International race series will again race in the grand final in Abu Dhabi on 9 November, as will the winners of the HH Sheikha Fatima Apprentice series,” she continued.
The Festival confirmed its support to Madrid which will host the FEI World Championship for Young Horses 2020.
Representatives of the Abu Dhabi Youth Council and the Abu Dhabi Police Youth Council are in Madrid and Ms.Sawaya said a Youth Circle will be held here to exchange views and expertise on how to attract more UAE youth in the age group of 16 to 30 to equestrian sport.
Earlier HE Dr. Al Oteiba hailed the contributions of the late Sheikh Zayed in building the UAE into a modern country and also his support for heritage events like equestrianism.
“HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE 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 are continuing the great work done by the late Sheikh Zayed and this Forum here in Madrid has been so widely received by Spain and other countries,” she said.
Also addressing the press conference were IFAHR chief Faisal Al Rahmani, Edward Hamod, Director of National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing Co. LLC, Dr. Abdulla Al Raisi, Director of National Archives, Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi-Director General of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Nadim Lahad of Emirates Airline, Dr Stephano Daneri of Equicare Veterinary Services, Abdel Rahman Al Rumaithy, Member of Abu Dhabi Youth Council, Pat Buckley of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Daniel Fanaux –Spanish Endurance chief, Roberto Cocheteaux and Barbara De Mieulle representing Spain’s Flat Racing committee.
Wednesday was the opener of the three-day World Arabian Horse Racing Forum. The three sessions for the first day were: Breeding, Racing & Training, Rules & Regulations, and Nutrition & Veterinary Services.
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, The National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carrier, in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFHRA, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abu Dhabi Youth Council, General Authority for Sports and sponsored by Ayadi LLC, Global United Veterinary Services LLC, Nissan Middleast Al Massood Automobiles, Nirvana Travels and Tourism LLC, Equicare Veterinary Services, Alawal Stud, Cavalos Equine Care & Supplies, SET Sustainable Environmental Technologies, Al Awani General Enterprises, Omeir Travels, Kabale, YAS Channel, Abu Dhabi Falconers Club, Emirates Falconers Club, Mohammed Bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, 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 2018, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Anantara Eastern Mangroves Spa and Resort.
~ end