The home Stretch: Winter time best for sporting activities

The alluring outdoors of the UAE during winter certainly gives one an opportunity to indulge a lot more in sport. I like this time of the year as you see more people engaged in some sort of sporting activity be it football or cricket, golf or tennis.

It is also the perfect time for watching sports and this was reflected by the crowds that flocked to the beautiful Dubai International Endurance City at Bab Al Shams to watch the region's best riders compete in the prestigious Dubai Show Jumping Championships. As a participant or an observer, I believe equestrian events assume added significance during the friendly winter months with the staging of the Dubai International Racing Carnival and the Arab league show jumping series, the first of which took place last week.

I think the thing about equestrian sport is that it offers you a lot more fun and excitement than say football or tennis. It is understood that equestrian sports are a lot more challenging to perform and it is this very characteristic that makes it more appealing for me.

Ever since the ancient Olympics horse-related sports have held our attention, but perhaps never more than now — with major equestrian events being held in our city.

Most people now recognise that events like the Dubai Show Jumping Championships or the Dubai International Racing Carnival, which culminates in the Dubai World Cup meeting, the richest sports event anywhere in the world, are an important part of the UAE's sporting culture. Those involved with equestrian sports are passionate and spend their lives attempting to develop its profile or appeal.

In less than three days, the Carnival will kick-off at Meydan with the first of 10 meetings that is sure to attract some of the finest race horses from every corner of the globe. Every horseman on the planet will be tuned into Meydan and Dubai as their horses compete for some of the richest prizes every offered in the sport. It was seven years ago that the first Carnival took place at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse and aroused the curiosity of owners, trainers and jockeys around the world. Today the curiosity has given way to enthusiasm as every champion horse in his country is now being aimed at the Carnival.