Abu Dhabi: Over 200 top riders will be seen in action in the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival-sponsored Italian Endurance Festival 2015 which will be held in Verona, Italy this weekend.
Highlighted by the 120km FEI World Championship for Young Horses the two-day event which kicks-off on Saturday, also featues the CEIO1* 100km HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Endurance CEIO and the CE1* 100Km HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival Cup on Sunday.
Speaking during the official pre-event press conference, Ettore Riello, Director of the Verona International Fair said: “The Verona Festival has been going on for the past 117 years and with the support of the Shaikh Mansoor Festival we are now getting bigger.
“This is a scenic and historically important part of Italy and we are expecting large crowds for the event.”
In Saturday’s event, 81 pairs representing 12 nations will compete in the FEI World Championship for seven-year-old horses.
“We thank Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Her Highness Shaikha 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 for their support to racing and endurance involving Purebred Arabian horses,” said Saqr Nasser Ahmad Al Raisi, the UAE Ambassador to Italy.
Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, reiterated the support and priority to equestrian sport.
“In the UAE we are very keen to keep traditional sports like Arabian racing and endurance always in the spotlight. We have achieved good results in these sports and we will keep driving ahead with our focus on the sports which are part of our culture and heritage.”
Lara Sawaya. Director of the Shaikh Mansour Festival added: “We are delighted to be back here in Verona and Italy will be in the limelight next year as Rome will host the World Arabian Horse Racing Conference.
“Last year the UAE girls did very well to win the individual Gold and Bronze medals and the Team Gold and we hope they once again compete well against the strong international teams.
“With so many families attending this event we will be having raffle draws and the lucky winners will be invited to our ‘One World, 6 Continents’ Festival finale in Abu Dhabi on November 3-8.
“The top five finishers in the World Championship for Young Horses will also be invited to the event.”
The Shaikh Mansoor Festival is sustained by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare.
The National Archives is the official partner and Emirates airline the official carrier.
