Mansour Festival announces US schedule
Seven races will be held as part of the event in the US
Top officials welcomed the UAE's support for Purebred Arabian racing in the United States as the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival announced the US schedule and introduced a new series of awards — The HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Awards.
At a press conference held at the UAE Embassy in Washington DC, Lara Sawaya, director of the Festival, said seven races will be held as part of the Festival with the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies IFAHR Cup in Houston on March 3 being the first-ever Purebred Arabian race only for ladies.
"The Festival's racing for the year 2012 in the US kicks off with two races at the Sam Houston Park race course on March 3," she said.
"We have also increased the newly-introduced HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Awards to six categories. Initially it was five awards for ladies — best owner, breeder, trainer, jockey and lifetime award — and now we have included a ‘best mare' to that list," Sawaya said.
Exciting times
"The 2012 Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival Darley Awards and The HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Award will take place on Sunday, March 4 in Houston. We are looking forward to some exciting times with the Festival's activities here in the US," she said.
Welcoming the UAE support, Kathy Smoke, president of the Arabian Jockey Club, US, said, "We could never believe what the Festival has achieved in such a short span of time. In fact the Festival has achieved what we have wanted to do over the years."
"The Shaikh Mansour Festival has brought together the Purebred Arabian horse owners, breeders and officials together all over the globe. It is a truly global festival," Smoke said.
While the Festival will stage seven races including four for the Wathba Stud Farm Cup in California, the support for the Darley Awards, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and the introduction of the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Awards has triggered a huge boost to Arabian racing here in the US.
Kinsman Wright, the Darley Awards chairman, said, "Purebred Arabian racing can bring everybody together. The Darley Awards is in its 25th year and we welcome the support of the UAE and look forward to many years ahead together.
Encouraging
"Many women have been receiving the Darley Awards but the HH Shaikha Fatima Awards will certainly be a boost to the women involved in Arabian racing," he said.
Stephen Bowey of Invest AD said, "As a sponsor it is very encouraging to see how the various initiatives of this festival are creating a groundswell of support for the Arabian horse."
