Battle for Amir Sword begins today at QEF’s Outdoor Arena

Qatar’s best riders will get cracking today at QEF’s Outdoor Arena where the much-awaited Amir Sword Festival kicks off. A total of QR 500,000 is up for grabs at the popular event where the winner of the Amir’s Sword will also receive a brand new car. The day’s first competition will see riders competing for honours in the Small Tour event (100/120cm) at 2:00pm. The day’s second competition - the Medium Tour - will start at 5:15pm with riders aiming for top honours in the 120/135cm competition.

The Big Tour, the day’s main competition, will start at 7:30pm. The three-day event has attracted more than 100 riders and it is held in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) in order to ensure that it is staged in accordance with safety measures in the country. The festival is a great opportunity for Qatari riders to prepare for the upcoming international competitions besides preparing for the Al Shaqab International Championship and the Longines International Equestrian Tour which will open in Al Shaqab in March in Doha. President of the Qatari and Asian Equestrian Federations Hamad Abdulrahman Al Attiyah said: “The Amir Sword Festival is the most prestigious and glamorous equestrian event for all equestrian fans in Qatar.

Every year there is a fierce competition to win this prestigious title.” He added: “We have seen that the riders have prepared well to compete as they participated in the equestrian championship rounds organized by QEF in cooperation with Al Shaqab - a member of Qatar Foundation.” Al Attiyah said the prize distribution ceremony tomorrow will be held jointly with Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) at Al Rayyan Park. Al Attiyah thanked the wise leadership for the continued support for Qatari equestrian, adding that the Qatar Equestrian Federation works according to the directives of HE President of Qatar Olympic Committee Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani.

Ali bin Yusuf Al Rumaihi, SecretaryGeneral of QEF, said: “More than 100 riders will feature in various competitions. The riders and equestrian enthusiasts are waiting for this great annual event. Our preparations for all competitions are complete. We expect a stiff competition among the young riders as this is the Amir Sword Festival from Friday.” Al Rumaihi said the popular event will be held in accordance with the rules and regulations of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). “The value of t h e p r i z e s increases based on the ranking of a tournament. The Amir Sword Festival is a premier event on our calendar and therefore, the prizes on offer are also h i g h , ” A l Rumaihi said. He also said the championship will be held amidst strict COVID-19 procedures as only 10 percent of fan attendance will be allowed at the event venue.

“The event will be held amidst strict procedures, as only 10 percent of the field capacity is allowed, with seats that exceed this permitted number being covered,” he said earlier in the week. Regarding QEF’s preparations for the event, Al Rumaihi said: “The preparations began a long time ago with the launch of the new season.” Vodafone Qatar in the main sponsor of the event, also supported by Baladna Food Industries, Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros, and Al Emadi Enterprises. Yesterday two Future Riders competitions were held at the same venue