A wide range of activities, including horse riding, auction for horses, riders parade, and exhibitions will take centre stage at the first edition of Katara's International Arabian Horse Festival, scheduled to take place from February 2-6 at the Katara beach.
The five-day event, organised by Katara – the Cultural Village in co-operation with the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, aims “to promote the country as a world hub for horse and equestrian sports and a leader in the pure Arabian breed and enhance its standing in this discipline”.
The festival’s website https://kiahf.qa/ noted that it will hold an auction for horses of well-known pedigrees as “Qatar boasts a global pioneering standing in this respect”.
Apart from conducting educational lectures on purebred Arabian horses, the festival will also organise exhibitions specialised in selling horse equipment, such as gears, saddles, items for horse hair and hoof.
According to Katara, the event will also host a large number of shops that specialise in horse items and supplies.
Visitors, both children and adults, will also have the chance to ride horses and witness a series of rider parades at the festival, in addition to associated cultural and entertainment activities, such as the special horse firework images.
A wide selection of stalls at the venue will also offer a variety of food, snacks and drinks.
There is also a competition, with some QR13mn of cash prizes on offer, which only the best international horse breeds can take part.
“The Katara International Arabian Horse Festival is a wonderful experience and a distinctive mix between the past, the present and the future,” the organisers said. “It is an important step, enhancing the relation between the world of purebred Arabian horses and the public, who look forward to discover all that is special, beautiful, varied and interesting; a tradition, which has always been there in Katara.”
The organisers added that the festival, dubbed as one of the largest sporting events in the equestrian field, also aims to “enhance the culture of ‘modernisation and originality’ in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030”.
“The festival involves several related cultural and educational activities. A special feature of the festival will be the hosting of the Qatar International Purebred Arabian Horse Show between February 4 and 6,” Katara noted. “It is the most established horse show in the region and, given its leading global sanding, Qatar’s premier Arabian horse show and one of the world’s highest-ranked shows.
“Only champions and winners in other shows are eligible to participate in this Title Show.”
