A file photo of a horse show event.
Doha: The first of the horse show events to be organised by the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) in the 2021-2022 horse show season will be launched tomorrow.
The renewed horse show season programme keeps pace with Qatar’s global leadership in this long-established discipline and reflects the strong relationship, which goes deep into history, between the people of Qatar and the Purebred Arabian horse as well as the equestrian sport in general.
In fact, horses and equestrian activities enjoy wide popularity and great passion in Qatar, as one of the most important legacies, which have been associated with Qataris since ancient times.
The QREC management, led by Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, QREC Chairman, was keen that the new season programme expresses the QREC’s vision of promoting Qatar as a leader in the pure Arabian breed.
The new horse show season programme is marked by a spike in both the number and the diversity of events. Not only the prestigious shows, which have already been part of the programme over the years, will see various improvements, but also new shows and events will be introduced for the first time. The programme comprises 12 national and international shows and events.
The first of these will be the 1st Qatar Arabian Horse Breeders Cup. The two-day show will kick off tomorrow at the Longines Indoor Arena of Al Shaqab. It will be immediately followed, over the following two days and at the same venue, by the 1st Qatar Arabian Horse Show for Local Bred. Both events are new shows to be held for the first time in Qatar.
Hours before the start of the new horse show season, Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, QREC Chairman, commended the new programme and the improvements it has received.
“It has been a priority for us, based on our assessments of the previous seasons, to pursue the successes and achievements attained in organising the most prestigious national and international shows,” Al Mohannadi said.
“To introduce new shows and events. Our aim is to provide more opportunities for show horse owners and expand the participation base, which, in turn,will contribute to introducing new champions and stars, so that these shows will be a starting point for them towards global victories to continue and confirm Qatar’s global leadership in this discipline,” Al Mohannadi added.
Bader bin Mohammed Al Darwish, QREC Acting CEO, stated that all preparations for the new horse show season have been completed.
“Preparation for the new season began several months ago,” Al Darwish said.
“Both in terms of preparing the programme and distributing it accurately throughout the season. During that period, we held a number of meetings with horse owners to listen to their opinions and feedback, which were taken into account while developing the programme. We were keen to make this season a distinguished one, reflecting our vision of continuous development, both for the prestigious shows already organised by QREC or through the new ones,which will undoubtedly open the door for many new names to shine in this discipline on both the local and the international arenas,” the Acting CEO added.
