SAUDI ARABIA: The renowned Khalediah Horse Festival kicks off in Riyadh with a horse race

Record ID: 188935

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: The renowned Khalediah Horse Festival kicks off in Riyadh with a horse race
  • Date: 25th January 2012
  • Summary: HORSES STARTING THE RACE FANS WATCHING VARIOUS OF WINNING HORSE AND RIDER AND OWNERS POSING FOR MEMORIAL PHOTOS
  • Embargoed: 9th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA5Y0B8E8DGXU87180MXECY0UGU
  • Story Text: Royals and horse lovers gathered in Tebrak city, west of the capital Riyadh, to see the beauty and elegance of the famed Arabian horses on display.
    On the second day of the Khalediah Horse Festival on Tuesday (January 24), festival goers held their breath for the race -- one of the highlights of the event.
    A horse named Zain al-Ma'ali won one of the rounds, bringing joy and pride to both its jockey and its owner and trainer.
    "There was competition from the horse Brsan and the horse Hamas. They are all good horses, but, thank God, we won and I'm more than happy," a beaming Mohammad al-Hemidi, the jockey who rode Zain al-Ma'ali, said after the race.
    "Frankly, there was strong competition in the round, and competing horses were of the best quality. Our horse was a candidate for winning and thank God we won," said the horse's owner and trainer.
    The audience too seemed spellbound.
    "I came here today to see the racing. I am a big enthusiast of racing. This is a very excellent race -- lots of the Saudi desert-bred Arabian horse which I am very interested in as part of our project in Saudi Arabia. It is just a wonderful evening, a wonderful venue, we are very pleased to be here," said Caren Rose, an American living in the country.
    Another race-goer, Hayat, had brought her young daughter to the race.
    "This is a very encouraging thing. I made my daughter ride horses since she was two months, we love horses. It is our hobby," Hayat said.
    The annual festival -- now in its fifth year -- will run for five days at the Khalediah farm, the headquarters of the Prince Khalid Bin Sultan farms in Tebrak.
    A range of activities will be held --- aiming to restore equestrian disciplines and highlight the importance of the Arabian horse as part of the nation's history.
    The organisers said the event showcases not just the horses, but is also an excellent place for riders and trainers.
    "The world champions arrived yesterday. This distinguishes the festival as being a forum for champions, be they champion horses or champion men," said Mutlaq al-Ghitani, the director-general of the Khalediah stables, and a member of the festival's organising committee.
    An auction of pure bred Arabian horses was held on the first day.
    The festival will also include an international Arabian Horse Show that will display the beauty and elegance of the animal -- considered a cultural treasure in the Arab world.
    The festival is the only one of its kind in the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia is known to produce Arab horses which are carefully bred and trained.
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