Having staged the spectacular Arabian Peninsula Show and a riveting Auction, the third edition of Katara International Arabian Horse Festival (KIAHF-2023) will now move into its final segment – the prestigious Title Show – from 3pm Wednesday.
The Title Show will continue until February 11 in the arena set up on the Katara Beach.
Held under the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the KIAHF is organised by the Katara – the Cultural Village Foundation in co-operation with the Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF) and the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club (QREC).
One of the most prestigious, luxurious and largest of international festivals showcasing purebred Arabian horses, the KIAHF-2023 has attracted over 250 horses from 18 countries, including Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the US, Denmark, Sweden, France, Spain, Poland and Uruguay, besides the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Palestine and Qatar.
“This version of the KIAHF is witnessing remarkable development at all levels,” said Qatar Equestrian Federation president Bader al-Darwish. “Out of the total prize money of QR17,083,500, a prize of QR13,900,000 has been allocated for the Title Show, in addition to valuable in-kind prizes provided by the sponsors.”
Champion stallions and mares at the KIAHF are awarded a grand prize of QR1mn, while the second and third place winners of this category receive QR600,000 and QR 300,000, respectively.
The categories are held separately.
The Junior class horses (2-3 years) – colts and mares are awarded QR800,000, QR430,000 and QR250,000 in the categories held separately.
The yearling class sports top three prizes of QR250,000, QR150,000 and QR100,000 for both the colt and mare categories.
In the qualifying round, Senior horses can win the top five prizes ranging from QR40,000-QR100,000, while the Junior horses may be awarded between QR20,000-QR85,000.
Yearling horses categories have prizes ranging from QR10,000-QR55,000.
The Title Show, in which only champion horses qualify to participate, will see various qualifying classes on the first three days heading into the grand finale on February 11.
The opening Title Show day will see the qualifying rounds of Yearling Fillies Class 1A, 1B and 1C; Junior Fillies Class 2A and 2B; and Yearling Colts Class 4A and 4B.
Qatar has been known as a global centre for Arabian horses and equestrian sports, being a pioneer in caring for and protecting the purebred Arabian horses, which has strengthened its position in this field.
The KIAHF represents one of the most important sporting events in the field and furthers the rich heritage by promoting the status of purebred and unique Arabian horses at local, regional and international levels.
The festival follows the highest standards of integrity and fairness, and its championships are subject to arbitration systems according to standards and clear rules globally recognised by the ECAHO (European Conference of Arab Horse Organisations) and with an international jury.
The KIAHF is also marked by a variety of accompanying events, including live art shows and paintings that highlight purebred Arabian horses including a “Best Photo” competition.
The picturesque Katara Beach is also hosting several art events like painting on saddles, and “Interactive Mirrors” highlighting the magnificence of the Arabian horse in all its grace, strength and beauty.
Several other cultural events accompanying the KIAHF-2023 – ranging from exhibitions, art workshops, artistic performances to various competitions are also keeping audiences engaged.
*The Journey ... A Tale of the Arabian Horse by Peter Upton, who is an international British painter, poet, historian and author, and the *Symphony of Authenticity by plastic artist Ali al-Mimar (which has 15 distinguished Arabian horse paintings) are two outstanding exhibitions.
The “Collectibles” exhibition in the Heritage Collection area of Qatar National Library has many historical sources on horse pedigree and breeds and most notably the book, *Attributes of Purebred Arabian Horses.
The section also includes the books on horses’ lineages, names of Arabian horses, and history of olden times battles witnessed in the region and related poems.
Rare Qatari equestrian heritage pieces are also on display at the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum.
These include horse tools from many countries such as Iraq, Syria, Qatar, India, Morocco and Yemen, which were used since the 9th century.
The exhibition is also showcasing historical documents of the first highest pedigree Arabian horses that were first registered in Qatar.
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