Falconry competion begins today

The first Falconry Competition, conducted by the Dubai Heritage and Diving Village starts today at Seh Shoab.

"The tradition and adventure of falconry in this region is very well known.We are delighted to be associated with this initiative that encourages closer ties to the sport," said Andrew Humberstone, general manager, Al Tayer Motors, the sponsors.

Abdullah Hamdan bin Dalmook, head of the Heritage and Diving Village said, "The initial announcement of the falconry competition generated an extremely enthusiastic response with more than 800 applicants from the local community and the GCC countries who have consistently followed this sport."

The competition is held in three main categories, depending on the size of the bird.

The competitors will be judged on the basis of the prey hunted with the falcon and the level of co-ordination between the falcon and its human master.

The award ceremony will be held at the Heritage and Diving Village on February 7 at 7pm.

The first prize winner in each category will receive a new Land Rover Freelander from Al Tayer Motors, while the second and third place winners will receive cash awards of Dh15,000 and Dh10,000 respectively.