Abu Dhabi hosts first horse race conference

UAE's capital Abu Dhabi is putting finishing touches on preparations to host the first World Arabian Horse Racing Conference with special focus on the origins of the Arabian horse.

The conference, organized by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), will be held on Sept. 22 on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) 2010 and will host hundreds of experts and researchers involved in horse racing and purebred Arabian horses.

 All those who will participate in the conference believe in the necessity of preserving the historic sport of horse racing 

Director of ADIHEX 2010 and Director of Communication Department at ADACH Abdullah al-Qubaisi

Participants, who come from 20 countries from all over the world, will tackle a variety of issues related to Arabian horses, said Abdullah al-Qubaisi, Director of ADIHEX 2010 and Director of Communication Department at ADACH.

“All those who will participate in the conference believe in the necessity of preserving the historic sport of horse racing,” Qubaisi said in a press statement Sunday. “They will tackle a variety of issues related to racing horses like their traits, reproduction, and breeding.”

The conference statement highlighted the distinction of Arabian horses and described them as “the oldest, the noblest, and the prettiest” in the world.

One of the main issues to be discussed at the conference sessions is the origin of Arabian horses. According to the conference statement, old and new historical accounts confirm that the Arabian horse is native to the Arabian Peninsula and did not migrate from a different place.

“Scientists who study climactic and geological changes say that in the distant past, the Arabian Peninsula was fertile and was inhabited by a variety of animals,” said the statement.

The conference will also discuss the breeding of Arabian horses in a way that preserves their pure breed and the difference between purebred and mixed breed horses as well as ways of dealing with young horses and keeping them fit and healthy.

Sessions will also focus on the history of Arabian horse racing and the role the sport plays in promoting Arab culture.


(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid)