Cups to top winners were presented by His Majesty- HM presides over annual Royal Horse Racing Festival
 His Majesty Sultan Qaboos presided over the annual Royal Horse Racing Festival at Al Adiyat racing track in the Wilayat of Seeb yesterday. The festival was attended by Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, Heir Apparent of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces, Shaikh Mansoor bin Zayed al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidency Affairs, and their delegations.

The festival was also attended by members of the Royal Family, the chairmen of the Majlis Addawla and Majlis Ash’shura, ministers, advisers, commanders of the Sultan’s Armed Forces and the Royal Oman Police, members of the Majlis Addawla and Majlis Ash’shura, under-secretaries, heads of diplomatic missions accredited to the Sultanate, senior military and civil officers, lovers of equestrian skills and a large number of the public. Upon the arrival of His Majesty the Sultan at the Royal box, the band played the Royal Anthem marking the beginning of the programme which started with a welcoming tableau.

The festival included six races, five of which were allocated for pure Arabian horses and one for thoroughbreds. It also included a variety of programmes and shows staged by male and female riders of the Royal Cavalry. The first race, the Ras Madarka Race, a 1,100-metre run for pure Arabian horses, was dedicated to women riders. It was won by a mare named Al Sabiqah, ridden by Fatimah bint Rashid al Manjiya, followed in second place by a stallion ridden by Suhailah bint Mubarak al Shuhiyah, and an other mare named Bashusha, ridden by Ramalh bint Khalil al Zadjaliyah, who ranked third.
In the 2nd race named Ras al Jinz (1,600 metres) for pure Arabian horses, a horse named Mutafani, ridden by Asaad bin Ali al Siyabi of the Royal Cavalry, won first place, followed by a horse named Ruby de Carrere, ridden by Hamoud bin Mohammed al Hajri of the Royal Oman Police. Coming in third place was a horse named Carte d’Or, ridden by Yasser bin Jameel al Sunaidi of the Royal Cavalry. The top three places in the 3rd race, a 1,100-metre run named Ras al Ruwais, were won by Royal Cavalry riders. They were, respectively, Badee’a (ridden by Said bin Batti al Badi), Al Nasr (ridden by Asa’d bin Ali al Siyabi) and Muhal (ridden by Yasser bin Jamil al Sunaidy).

The 4th race, a 1,600-metre run for thoroughbreds named Ras al Duqm, was won by Lavarone, owned by Mohammed bin Nasser al Araimi and ridden by Amir bin Salim al Ghunaimi. Exclusive One, owned by Salim bin Sulaiman al Fayruz, ridden by Amm’ar bin Abdul Rahim al Balushi, won second place, followed in third place by Olympic city of the Royal Cavalry, ridden by Said bin Bati al Badi. The 5th race, a 1,600 metres for pure Arabian horses named Ras Hasik, was won by a horse named Sabaeh, owned by Humaid bin Sultan al Mahrouqi and ridden by Abdullah bin Humaid al Mahrouqi. Second place was won by Dorki Lotois, a horse owned by Said bin Suhail al Mukhaini and ridden by Badr bin Mohammed al Hajri. Third place was won by Mag De Carrere, owned by His Highness Sayyid Munthir bin Saif al Busaidy and ridden by Ibrahim bin Khamis al Maqbali.

Tough competition marked the last race for His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Cup. The 2,000 metre run for pure Arabian horses (Ras al Hadd) was won by a horse named Qadeer of the Royal Cavalry. It was ridden by Ahmed bin Saif al Hadhrami. Second place went to Mudallal, owned by Said bin Bati al Badi (Royal Cavalry). It was ridden by Hamoud bin Hamad al Husaini. The Royal Cavalry horsemen and horsewomen presented a variety of shows, including a military procession of carriages, a musical performance by mounted bands, ‘rescue rides’, a multiple display of equestrian skills, musical tunes on coaches, horse dances, a vaulting display, a horse pageant, a traditional equestrian art named Rakdh al Ardha and a popular musical performance known as al Zamil.

The festival also included a Troika display, mounted bands procession, a children’s military parade, a skills-at-arms display, archery and a grand children pony race. The Festival also included parade of disabled children, equestrian skills and a trick ridding display, combined musical shows, trotters and a 26-horse-powered carriage drive (a new record achievement by the Royal Cavalry in terms of the pure Arabian horses that drag carriages). His Majesty Sultan Qaboos handed over trophies and prizes to top winners of the Annual Royal Horse Racing Festival. Then the Royal anthem was played signalling the end of the show, after which His Majesty the Sultan left the Horse Race Club.