HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed

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HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival

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During the 2017 Darley Awards weekend, Paddys Day (Burning Sand x AK Loretta), owned by Quarter Moon Ranch LLC won the $100,000 2017 Darley Awards Stake at Santa Anita, California.

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The winner of the 2017 $1.27 million HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown was RB Burn (Majd Al Arab x Burnie Gee PW by Burning Sand) owned by HH Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

heikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan (son of the late Emir HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and brother of the current President of Abu Dhabi, HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan), is the Deputy Prime Minister of Abu Dhabi and Minister of Presidential Affairs, as well as the Chairman of the Emirates Arabian Horse Association.

Among the aims of his Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival are: “introducing to the people of the world the importance of Arabian horses, the rich depths of UAE heritage, and the preservation of the most important purebred Arabian horses in the Arabian Peninsula.”

As HH Sheikh Mansoor once wrote, “We have been taught by our father to promote the noble message carried by the Arabian horse, and stress the importance of its continuation for future generations. It highlights the long history of horsemanship within the country, and the original values symbolized by the Arabian horse.”

To that end, His Highness and partners have, for the past ten years, put tremendous effort into building Arabian horse racing

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Highlights of the global festival supporting races around the world.

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through their Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival organization.

Along with the support of major sponsors, the Festival underwrites Arabian stakes races on six continents. The circuit began with four races in 2009 and now boasts over 100 races, including the world’s richest Arabian Stakes race — the 1.2 million Euro Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown, run in honor of Sheikh Mansoor’s father.

HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarek Al Nayyan, Sheikh Mansoor’s mother, has been a pioneer in supporting women’s empowerment and has held a number of positions on committees and institutions concerned with women and children. So it is fitting then, that there are two Global Festival championship race series run in her name: the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship and the $100,000 HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Darley Award

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Scenes from the 2015 World Arabian Racing Forum in Poland.

The “Women of Racing” panel during the 2015 World Arabian Racing Forum.

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Left: The $1,398,720 2017 Sheikh Zayed Jewel Crown was won by Muraaqib (Munjiz x Tashreefat), owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai.

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The $816,750 2017 HH The President Cup was won by Loraa (Mawood x Aleefa), center, owned by Sheikha Fatima bint Mansour Al Nahyan.

Scenes from the 2016 World Arabian Racing Forum in Rome.

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Stakes, which took shape two years ago as a result of a new partnership with Santa Anita racetrack. She also is credited with the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Darley Awards, which recognize excellence of women (and fillies and mares!) in the sport.

The Festival is also funding scholarships for young jockeys through the establishment of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA), a body headquartered in Abu Dhabi. IFHRA is committed to the development of Horse Racing Academies worldwide — so far they’re in 44 countries. Then there are the annual Arabian racing conferences and endurance festivals. It’s a big umbrella … all aimed at fostering equine sport, in particular, with the Arabian horse.

As Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival, says, “All of this has transpired because of the unity of the countries we’re working with. We are now 80 countries, and six continents. And

Right: The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival’s Jockey Ambassador Xavier Ziani winning on Yas Racing’s Qader (Munjiz x Fazzaha by Dahman El Arami).

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At the 2015 World Arabian Racing Conference in Warsaw Ameretto (Amer x Win Taouy by Drug) won the the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan International Cup – Ofir Stake.

Ameretto’s breeders and owners Manuela Schafenberg and Dr. Paul-Jean Daverio, accept the trophy.

Former President of the AJC, Kathy Smoke, and Director of Shadwell Stud, Richard Lancaster, were on the Rules, Conditions and Regulations panel.

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thanks to His Highness Sheikh Mansoor and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarek, all the jockeys in the world are well supported through our foundation.”

At one of the World Arabian Conferences not long ago, Dr. Abdulla El Reyes, Director of the National Archives of the UAE, underscored how deeply the feelings for the Arabian horse runs through the Al Nayyan family. “We owe a lot to the man who changed the entire UAE — Sheikh Zayed. His love for Arabian horses is well known. In our archives we have a beautiful picture of him riding his Arabian horse, and we have video footage of him during the wedding of his son, Sheikh Khalifa, our current president. He’s on horseback welcoming the guests. It’s all in the family. And they have great passion for it. This is very important. When it’s all said and done, what we all want is to spread the passion for the Arabian horse.”

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During the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship recently held in Bahrain, apprentice jockey Abdul Rahim Jasin won on Al Hamdany 1697.