Dubai: A staggering $4.6 million (Dh16.89 million) will be on offer when the Dubai International Arabian Horse Championship (DIAHC), the biggest horse show in the Middle East, takes place at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The three-day competition, which runs from Thursday to Saturday, brings together a record 400 Purebred Arabian horses from 21 different countries who will attempt to win over the judges with their beauty, agility and heritage.
It is one of the pet projects of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, and runs alongside the 11th Dubai International Horse Fair (DIHF), which bring together some of the region’s and Europe’s leading equestrian equipment companies, owner, breeders, veterinarians and horse enthusiasts.
With the aim of making the event even more attractive, the organisers on Monday confirmed an increase of $600,000 to the purse, with more money being offered to horses finishing fifth to sixth in the championship classes.
“Following the outstanding success of last year’s event, which featured 371 horses and was a significant increase in the number that participated in 2012 [295], the DIAHC aims to offer more rewards and incentives to the competitions,” Ziad Abdullah Galadari, Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee, told a press gathering on Monday.
“We recognise that the championship has become more popular than ever across the Middle East and Europe, so the increase in prize money aims to reflect this popularity and ensure that the event continues to grow year after year. Building the show to become the best in the world is our next goal.”
This year’s horse show will also feature an exciting new category for foals as the organisers attempt to provide more opportunities and incentives for breeders. Colts and fillies born before October 1, 2013, are eligible for competition, and will be accompanied by their dams when performing in the show ring.
“We introduced the Yearling Championships to a resounding success last year and hope that the category for foals will also generate a lot of interest,” added Galadari. “Obviously, there is a great deal of importance attached to the six championship classes for which we have received some very high quality entries. But the aim has always been to provided depth to the event and to place emphasis on encouraging breeders of Purebred Arabians.”
Three Female World Gold Champions, including 2009 World Champion Najdah Al Zobair and five Male World Gold Champions headed by Sharjah’s Albidayer Stud star Marajj, will be seen in action on day two of the event.
In addition, the show’s depth and quality is further endorsed by the participation of seven female and six males who were crowned Silver or Bronze Champions at the World Championships in Paris last year.
Several horses who will be on show during the weekend have also been champions in the United States, while some of them have won major titles in the European Championships or the prestigious Nations Cup in Paris.
Of the 400 horses registered to compete this year are 296 horses who will be in action during the qualifying classes on Friday, while 31 horses will take part in the Ridden Classes and an additional 73 in the Endurance and Racing classes.
