From the sport of kings to the sophistication of dressage, the splendour of the ponies and the sweat of the endurance course, Abu Dhabi has something to suit every horse lover in town – from the saddle or the stands

Arabian horses have been synonymous with excellence for centuries. According to the experts at the Arabian Horse Association, the Bedouins of the Arabian Peninsula are credited with maintaining the pure breed of the Arabian horse for centuries in near isolation.

“Long before Europeans were to become aware of his existence, the horse of the desert had established himself as a necessity for survival of the Bedouin people. The head men of the tribes could relate the verbal histories of each family of horse in his tribe as well as he could each family of Bedouin,” says the associations website.

An animal as important to this culture as the camel or the falcon, the horse has been an integral part of Emirati life throughout history and that legacy continues today. Abu Dhabi, in fact, has gained international recognition for the quality of the equestrian sports and riders that call the city home.

Flat racing

It’s a cool Sunday evening and the sun has just begun to set when the first rally of horses come pounding down the track at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club. Situated in the middle of town right on 19th/Al Saada Street, the Club has been hosting horses from around the world for over ten years in prestigious events like the National Day Cup, HH The President’s Cup and The Emirates Championship.

The Club is set to gain even more global attention with the launch of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival (www.sheikhmansoorfestival.com). The world tour series kicked off at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on 30th October and will continue in stages at tracks around the world including Australia, France, Germany and the US. The final leg of the event is set to happen November 2012 again at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.

While we’re waiting for the final instalment of the Sheikh Mansoor Festival, you can check out weekly races at the Club – admission is free! To see the schedule or find out more, visit www.adec-web.com.

Show jumping

While the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club is also home to a spectacular show jumping arena, the recent Final Grand Prix of the Global Champions Tour (GCT) has moved to Al Forsan International Sports Resort to the forefront of the Abu Dhabi show jumping scene.

The world’s richest equestrian show jumping event – which featured 90 horses and 48 riders – saw Edwina Tops-Alexander walk away with a cheque for 300,000 euro and a Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos clock on 26th November at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

The event featured 40 of the world’s top Olympic riders including future UAE Olympic hopeful HH Sheikh Shakhboot Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco – fourth in line to the Monaco throne and Honorary President of Jumping International de Monte-Carlo and Sheikh Ali Al Thani of Qatar.

“With its extensive indoor and outdoor sand field training areas, fully floodlit polo field and world class stables, Al Forsan International Sports Resort is the perfect partner for the GCT debut in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi brings its own unique culture, landscape and fans to the GCT experience,” said Jan Tops, President of the GCT, which is officially approved by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) under the patronage of Athina Onassis de Miranda, granddaughter of the late Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis.

Endurance racing

Abu Dhabi has been a major player on the international scene in the sport of endurance racing since the inception of the Emirates Equestrian Federation (EEF) in 1992. In 1996, Emirati riders competed for the first time in the World Championship endurance event in Kansas, USA, and just two short years later the UAE hosted the same event, attracting a record 162 competitors. Since that time, the EEF has fostered “the sport of a million steps” – there are now three self-sufficient, modern endurance villages in the UAE including Al Wathba, Bouthib and Dubai.

“Endurance racing is one of the most challenging international equestrian competitions for both horses and riders,” says Carol Flake Chapman, an author who owns and writes extensively about Arabian horses. “Unlike the brief cavalry charge of a thoroughbred race, an endurance race has a series of stages, each varying in length and difficulty.

“From the haven of the endurance compound, the competitors will venture out each day for four forays, returning after each stage for a veterinary inspection and a chance to rest and rehydrate. The key part of the race [say some riders] won’t even begin until the last 30km.”

The endurance season continues with races happening most weekends from now until the weather heats up at the end of March. See the entire season calendar at www.eef.ae.

Polo

Though most events at the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club (GRPC) are closed to the general public, certain events are open to everyone like the annual Pink Polo charity event that happened this October with the aim of raising awareness about breast cancer.

This year, over three thousand spectators came out to watch the exhibition game in which Emirati polo players the Bin Desmal brothers – who teamed up with Argentina’s Oscar Colombre – defeated the Estee Lauder Polo Team.

“Abu Dhabi has really started buzzing now on equestrian sport,” says Carrie McNeill, marketing manager for GRPC and co-founder of Pink Polo. “The next event to be open to the public is the Emirates Open Polo Championships happening 7th to 13th January with the final happening on Friday the 13th. The HH President of UAE Polo Cup happening 12th to 30th March will also be open to the public.”

For more information about these events, visit www.gprc.ae or call GRPC at 02 562 9050.

Riding and lessons

Ready to get into the saddle? Lessons are on offer both on and off the island. From the humble beginnings of only ten Arabian horses and two ponies, The Riding School at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club now boasts more than 90 horses and ponies trained to all abilities. Qualified instructors teach lessons for everyone from the novice to the advanced equestrian, either privately or in groups, and riders work towards attaining a certificate of achievement. Lessons are also available for those who aspire to compete in show jumping and endurance riding. To supplement regular lessons, students also participate in competitions and desert trail rides. To find out more, call 02 445 5500.

Those on the mainland will want to check out the Al Forsan Riding Academy. Students of all skill levels can sign up for lessons in riding, polo, show jumping and dressage. The facilities include a fully floodlit international polo field, show jumping courses that range from training to international standards and equestrian theory lessons. Private indoor and outdoor riding lessons are available for all levels from age six. Don’t need lessons? Bring your little ones along for a pony ride. Call 02 556 8555 for more information.

Laura Fulton