Friday 03 / May / 2024
His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik accords attention to different equestrian sports through his continuous support to horse races organised by the Royal Horse Racing Club and by encouraging Royal Cavalry’s participation in different events abroad.
“This support is aimed at preserving this historic Arabian sport that constitutes a source of income for a large segment of Omani society. It is aimed at attracting many young people to the sport and fostering equestrian sports culture locally and internationally,” said Brigadier-General Abdulrazaq bin Abdulqadir al-Shahwarzi, Commander of the Royal Cavalry.
In a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA), he reaffirmed that the Sultanate has assumed a lofty status in the global sports map based on the rating and timing achieved by horses participating in local races, in addition to advanced places in international sports.
Brig. Abdulrazaq pointed out that the Royal patronage of equestrian sports prompted horse owners to obtain top pedigrees of purebred and thoroughbred Arabian horses compatible to bloodlines of local horses so that they could contest at all levels. Also, valuable prizes are slated for the winners to encourage their outbound participation under the banner of the Sultanate, he added.
The Royal Cavalry’s horse racing track has been equipped at world-class standards by a firm specialised in organising horse races in the Sultanate. The company, manned almost 100% by Omanis, has been continuously commended for its excellent performance in the management of this type of sports in the Sultanate, said the Commander of the Royal Cavalry.
Speaking about Omani jockeys, Brig. al-Shahwarzi said that they have accessed advanced levels of professionalism through their participation in local and international events. “This is evidenced by the fact that they are called for participation within hours from the announcement of horse races in different countries. Their results are ideal, in fact major, due to the huge pressure that they undergo from, for example, their participation in a single week in a horse racing season in GCC states,” he observed.
It is worth noting that the Royal Horse Racing Club opened registration in the 2020/2021 horse racing season proposed to kick off on 17 October — this time without spectators on the ramps. Yet the authorities concerned have undertaken full precautionary measures to ensure the safety of all participants. -ONA
