Olympic riders to feature in first ever Al Shira’aa International Horse Show from Jan 11 – 14

WAM -- Al Forsan International Sports Resort is to host the first Al Shira’aa International Horse Show on January 11th. The event goes on till January 14th, and will have daily sporting highlights from national and international top senior show jumpers. This event is inspired by H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza Al Nahyan and her family’s love for horses, in pursuit of supporting the future development of equestrian sports and events in Abu Dhabi.

Over 142 international and local riders who have participated in Olympics, Asian Games, Grand Prix and World Cups, will be taking the reins of 300 horses, one of the largest gathering of horses at an event in the UAE. There are 50 riders in the final Grand Prix, which will start at 6.30 p.m. on Saturday. The Grand Prix will feature two rounds and one jump-off. Fences will reach a maximum of 1.60m, as the event is also a prestigious qualifier for World Equestrian Games.

"This event highlights the value of friendship, direct dialogue and mutual respect between people from different communities and cultures. We encourage the whole community to gather here, support our riders, push our young ones to get active, and explore their city and the world beyond through the friendships we will be cultivating," said Christine Stibi, Al Shira’aa Horse Show Event Director and ‘Horse Sport and Philanthropy’ mission developer from Germany.

Several VIP guests from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, will be present at this high profile sporting event, as well as the FEI President, Ingmar de Voss, members of the German Football Bundesliga Team, ‘Eintracht Frankfurt’, the German and Dutch Ambassadors. The Al Shira?a Horse Show Cultural village will also attract families, riders, visitors and tourists.

"This event is on a par with international equestrian standards, and we at Al Forsan are delighted and privileged to host this prestigious show in Abu Dhabi. These four days are going to be really interesting, not just for the riders and participants, but the whole community. We are looking forward to some close finishes during the Grand Prix and we wish all the participants the very best," said Rashed Al Qubaisi, General Manager of Al Forsan.

"The Al Shira’aa Horse Show will be watched the world over, as it will be streamed live on specialist channel, 'clipmyhorse.de' from Germany. It is the first time ever in the UAE and GCC that 'Clipmyhorse' will cover a Horse Show hosted in the Middle East.

Aside from promoting the equestrian sport, one of the major aims of this unique event is to instill the value of friendship between different countries and cultures and to kick off the first ‘Friendship Sport Event Trips’ to bring the world together in Abu Dhabi.

Children and teenagers can participate in a painting competition related to the German-UAE event theme, ‘Make A Difference - It is in our hands’. The winners will be announced and the top 30 masterpieces will be showcased on 24th and 25th of February at the prestigious follow up horse show organised by the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sport Academy.

Al Forsan is open seven days a week and welcomes all visitors with complimentary resort access and parking to experience the fantastic range of facilities. Entrance to the event is free on all days.

WAM/Moran