Abu Dhabi: The Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival, which staged the World Arabian Horse Racing Conference for three years in a row, and the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak ladies racing for two years had now decided top stage another event which is likely to be a huge help to those aspiring to make a career in the racing world.
The Festival organisers announced on the sidelines of the two Purebred Arabian races being held in Stockholm in Sweden that Abu Dhabi will play host to the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak EARS (European Association of Racing Schools) Conference on Education and Training next year.
The European Association of Racing Schools (EARS) is an organisation that stages events and races to help amateurs and beginners in getting trained in various sections and skills that make up the world of flat racing.
According to a press release, Lara Sawaya, Director of the Festival and Head of IFAHR ladies racing said the Conference is being held under the directives of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
“There are no such specialised schools in the region and by staging the conference in Abu Dhabi it will be a great opportunity to those aspiring to gain a foothold in flat racing and also for those who are already in the sport,” she said.
“Speakers from all the leading racing schools will attend the conference on the final days of the Festival’s Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup and Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Championship (IFAHR) races,” she added.
“The Abu Dhabi conference will be for two days and it is open to all. At the end of the conference there will be a Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak EARS Apprentice Jockeys race for both male and female jockeys and we are working on making this an annual event,” she said.
The Festival’s Director also announced that the Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak EARS Apprentice Jockeys race on November 11 this year when the final races of the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup and Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Championship (IFAHR) rounds will be held at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.
Susanna Santesson, the President of EARS since it was formed in 2000, said “The EARS was initiated along with the leading racing schools from France, England, Ireland, Italy and Germany in order to have a higher level of education and training in the racing industry.