September 7, 2013, Abu Dhabi- 2014 London UK
The fifth edition of the World Arabian Horse Racing Conference will be held in London, England, from May 28-30, 2014. After the three day Conference, on May 31, Newbury racecourse will host two Arabian races, a £30,000 ($47,000) HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Nahyan Ladies World Championship (IFAHR), and a £70,000 ($109,456) Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup. This is the first time that two Arabian races will be on the same card with Thoroughbred racing. June 1st will start the new month with another first; the first all Ladies Endurance CEIO Championship.
The World Conference is a directive held under the patronage of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival. Lara Sawaya, director of the Racing Festival and Head of the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing (IFAHR) Ladies races welcomed assembled press and guests, introducing the World Arabian Racing Conference, London 2014.
“We celebrate five years of working together for the Arabian horse,” she said. “There will be 400 guests invited to the 2014 Conference in London, and we will all stay at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington.”
“Five years, five events, five days; we will look to the future,” Sawaya continued. “We will have excellent panels and a panel of Ladies. We have the full support of HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan and HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Nahyan and we are directed to challenge ourselves and have new ideas that make us special.”
Likening the global racing group to one big family, Sawaya thanked those assembled for their participation and help in making the Festival successful. Further Conference details will be forthcoming.
Sawaya credited the Director of the Arabian Racing Organization (ARO) UK, Genny Haynes, as a key player in bringing the World Conference 2014 to London.
“On behalf of Arabian racing of the UK we thank Lara Sawaya for making this a reality,” said Haynes. “It is a privilege to be a part of this vast knowledge and experience from all over the world, and it’s an honor to be hosting the Conference 2014.”
“We are a very small team from the UK and we thank the media for their help in our recognition,” Haynes continued. “We are looking forward to hosting the two races at Newbury on 31 May; to hold two races on one day will be amazing.”
Stephen Higgins, Managing Director of Newbury racecourse added his thanks. “Newbury is a center of excellent Arabian racing in Europe and certainly in the United Kingdom, and our work with the UAE racing association in the UK is very important. We are proud to have the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Championship back in Newbury for the third time next May, and to have the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Cup on the same evening will be a wonderful occasion. We are happy to be the host of the Global Festival’s Conference racing 2014 in the UK.”
John Robertson from the FEI Technical committee gave details of the June 1st, 120k CEIO Ladies Endurance Championship.
“We’ve never had an FEI Ladies Championship,” he said. “The course will run from Newbury racecourse and will be ridden in four loops through the surrounding countryside. The race is for ladies aged 14 and up, and there will be both team and individual awards. A team will consist of 5 riders and 7 horses. The top 3 horses will be counted for team timing.”
Robertson added that all foreign entries will be made from their Federation through the FEI online entry system.
Five years, five events, three days of conference, one day of flat racing, and for the first time in the world, one HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies CEIO Endurance Championship. It looks to be a fully loaded week of exciting events.
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