Horse Race in the UAE

A horse race is a horse ride with the distance of approximately from 50 to 150 miles. The way is varied as well as complicated with different barriers. In most cases, events of this kind last from one to three days. Before holding the horse competition, specially qualified veterinarians as well as judges carefully examine horses.

It is a well-known historical fact that the period of endurance horse riding first began in the early 1900s in the form of testing cavalry horses for military purposes. At that time, there was a strict requirement that all horses should go on a 5-day ride with the distance of 300 miles. However, already in the early 1950s, this cavalry test ride turned into a civilian sport event. Furthermore, the reduction of required distance as well as strict time limits over time helped to increase the number of horse riders willing to take part in such competition. Moreover, in 1978, a specially founded Federation Equestre Internationale, which is an important international regulatory and governing agency for international and national equestrian events, added endurance horse riding to the recognized list of international kinds of sport. That is why already in 2006 approximately 353 endurance horse-riding competitions under the governance of the Federation Equestre Internationale took part in the European and Asian countries as well as on the American continent with the total number of worldwide participating countries reaching more than 49 nations (Blocksdorf).

Endurance horse race competition is one of the most popular kinds of sport in the United Arab Emirates. It is well known that the United Arab Emirates is a sport loving country, where endurance horse riding was initiated according to the requirements of the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (EEF Endurance).

Moreover, endurance horse races are considered the fastest-growing discipline under the control of the Federation Equestre Internationale. Dubai is, of course, not an exception in this principle. This is the city of the United Arab Emirates with no or, in some cases, little crossover in terms of available qualified personnel, required facilities, and specially developed venues for horse racing (Wood, 2013).

Moreover, the government of this country founded special Emirates Equestrian Federation, the main aim of which is to support and provide necessary changes in equestrian sport in general as well as endurance horse racing in particular. In addition, there have been specially designed three independent modern endurance horse-riding centers, or so-called villages, in the country as well as 22 horse race clubs. The Emirates Equestrian Federation started its work in April 1992. Furthermore, the first modernly designed desert horse ride was held in January 1993. In the above-mentioned first competition in Dubai, horses competed against camels, where the distance reached the level of 40km, the very first 15 places were won by horses.

The Emirates Equestrian Federation has specially developed duties, according to which this sport agency should formulate the national norms and principles; maintain registry of endurance horse race, especially keep record of all national and international riders and horses; provide technical control as well as play an advisory and regulatory role in horse rides in the United Arab Emirates. Moreover, the Emirates Equestrian Federation is responsible for supervising the work of all officials employed at the endurance horse ride, and checking out and controlling endurance routes as well as specially constructed facilities and amenities of the four endurance villages. It also should oversee the work of endurance riding clubs and cooperate with all endurance ride organizers of the United Arab Emirates with the aim of developing the riding calendar, preparing endurance horse trail, selecting officials as well as technical management staff.

Furthermore, there have been registered several outstanding achievements by the endurance horse riders in the UAE for the last decade. For example, the period of 1995-1998 can be characterized by long-distance endurance rides. Moreover, it was the first time when the UAE horse riders became participants of the World Championship horse endurance held in Kansas in 1996. In addition, the year 1998 was the year when the UAE hosted the World Championship endurance horse races for the first time. This even attracted approximately 162 participants. A young UAE horse rider Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum was registered as the youngest endurance horse rider in the world’s history as well as the first person who won the FEI World Cup Endurance Championship in 2002 competition in Spain (EEF Endurance).

Moreover, the United Arab Emirates specially developed Dubai International Endurance City (shortly known as DIEC) in the Seih Assalam area of the city in order to facilitate endurance horse riding. It is estimated that up to eight events are held per year, beginning at the end of November and ending at the beginning of March (Dubai International Endurance City (DIEC), 2012).

In addition, along with the fact that Dubai is one of the largest tourist sectors of the world and the center of international transport links, it became the main attraction of the horse riding business. The United Arab Emirates is famous for endurance horse riding competitions across the desert by "drinkers of the wind", as local residents commonly refer to Arabian horses. This is the city where approximately 50 races with the distance of 80-240 kilometers took place in cooler months, which means between October and March.  

It is estimated, however, that the Emirates Equestrian Federation registers over 2,000 active endurance horses as well as 87 racing stables. That is a very high level, for example in comparison with 800 riding horses registered in France (Dokoupil, 2012). That is why the UAE has a very high level of endurance horse race industry development and is the main attraction centre of this kind of sport.