Equestrianism in Qatar



Equestrianism have a major economic and cultural significance in Qatar. After the Emirate gained its independence in 1971, the Al Thani family invested to make Qatar one of the major players in horse racing and equestrian sports. The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) was created in 1975, and the prestigious Al Shaqab stables were created in 1992. Qatar now has top-level jockeys and world-renowned purebred Arabian horses. Since the 21st century, it has been organizing highly endowed horse races and important equestrian sports competitions, such as the Global Champions Tour, and international endurance riding competitions. While equestrianism remains less prominent than in neighboring Arab states, the sovereign family still aims to invest heavily in this field. The sudden burst of Qatar on the international equestrian scene is also followed by controversy due to cases and suspicions of doping, especially in endurance and horse racing.

History
During the reign of the Umayyads and the Abbasids, the horse trade developed in the territory of present-day Qatar. Purebred Arabian horses have been bred there for at least 400 years. The ancestors of the sovereign family migrated to the Arabian Peninsula thanks to their Arabian horses, which were an important part of their livelihood. The independence of this small State owes much to the horses of the troops of Sheikh Jassim ben Mohammed Al Thani, who repelled the Ottomans in 1893. In 1907, for every 1430 camels, 250 horses were counted in this sparsely populated area.

In the 1930s, the tribes still practiced mostly horse and camel breeding. The Qatari people have kept a strong attachment to this animal, considered a prestigious gift, since its long history of nomadic breeding. When the Emirate became independent in 1971 after having started to get rich thanks to gas and oil, the will to develop equestrian and horse investments was quickly realized. The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) was created in 1975, with the objective to organize horse races in Qatar and to promote the breeding of blood horses. The development of pleasure riding, pony riding, and equestrian stables is much more recent, dating back to the beginning of the 21st century, as well as the first exports of horses from Qatar.

In 2006, Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani invested in the construction of the first racetrack. In September 2009, the Amir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani presented a golden horse statuette to Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George W. Bush, the President of the United States at that time. In 2011, the Al Shaqab stables became an elite sports complex. It was one of the main arguments for Qatar's bid to host the 2022 World Equestrian Games, as it is expected to eventually host all recognized equestrian sports, including eventing, vaulting, and combining driving, which are not currently practiced in Qatar. Equestrianism is one of the most popular Qatari sports, along with football, tennis, and swimming. Doha's equestrian and horse stables are described as "Pharaonic ". An international equestrian festival is held in February each year. It includes 7 richly endowed races, the most prestigious of which is the "Amir Sword ". This event is an opportunity to show the best Arab and English horses in the State.

Breeding and racing of Purebred Arabian horses
Two breeds of horses are bred in Qatar, the Thoroughbred, and the Arabian. While the former is mainly bred for gallop racing, the latter is also bred for international festivals of the breed. In 1988, the Umm Qarn breeding (until then dedicated to poultry production ) became a breeding of Arabian thoroughbreds for racing and endurance. The Al Shaqab stables, created in 1992 in Al Rayyan, were built on the site of the battle of Sheikh Jassim ben Mohammed Al Thani against the Ottomans. They are the flagship of Arabian thoroughbred breeding in Qatar, giving birth to several world champions, like Marwan Al Shaqab. To feed their most prized horses, the Qataris do not hesitate to import French AOC and Crau hay and fly them to Qatar.

The International Arabian Horse Festival, organized every year, attracts a large part of the Qatari social elite. The development of the Arabian breed and the breeding of Al Shaqab is one of the priorities of the Amir. He finances luxurious facilities for these horses, such as equine treadmills and swimming pools.

Horse racing sports
The reigning family invests heavily in the field of gallop racing. Its ambition is to become the owner of the most successful horse racing structure in the world. The discipline is organized by the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), a stable in the south of Doha. Qatar's investments include the purchase of stud farms in Europe to breed Thoroughbreds and the sponsorship (with naming rights) of races. The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe became the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 2008 (until 2022) with a doubling of its endowment, making it the best-endowed flat race in Europe. The Champion Stakes, Britain's highest-paid race, is funded by Qatar Investment & Projects Development Holding Company (QIPCO), a Qatari investment group. The Goodwood Festival in England became the Qatar Goodwood Festival in 2015.

Qatar buys the best racehorses in gallop racing. Treve, who won the Arc in 2013 and 2014, became the property of Prince Abdullah Joaan Al Thani, one of Amir's sons, for between 8 and 10 million euros. A rivalry exists between the Al Thani for supremacy in gallop racing. The one who invests the most in France is Abdallah ben Khalifa Al Thani, the uncle of the current Amir Tamim ben Hamad Al Thani. The Qatari royal family has acquired some of the best Thoroughbred breeding lands, notably in Normandy. They own the oldest stud farm in the Pays d'Auge, Victot-Pontfol with its 16th-century castle, located in Calvados and acquired for about ten million euros. French horse racing officials do not hesitate to offer dinners and cruises to members of the Al Thani family.

Equestrian sports
Qatari jockeys are mostly men, but women can also compete at the highest level. They represent about 10% of the international equestrian athletes competing for Qatar in 2013, according to the International Federation for Equestrian Sports. The State is primarily present in two disciplines, endurance and show jumping.

Endurance riding
Endurance riding is by far the most practiced equestrian sport in Qatar. It is organized by the Qatar Endurance Committee, which has existed since 1994 and is part of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club. The first endurance race in the emirate was run on 25 March 1994 between Ras Laffan and Ruwais, over 42 km, under the name of "First Qatari Desert Race". Only two relatively short endurance races are run each year. The discipline developed in 2004 when the Qatar Endurance Committee was attached to the Qatari Olympic Committee. From then on, about fifteen races are organized every year. Among the main ones is the endurance horse race, a 120 km race run on sand.

The development of endurance riding in Qatar probably originates from a conflict with the reigning family of Dubai, the Al Maktoum, who became world champions after having bought the best horses in the discipline. The Qataris, wishing to take back the title from the Al Maktoum family, have invested heavily in the sport, notably by buying French horses. The French endurance jockeys compare this situation to "the purchase of all the soccer teams of the Ligue 1 by Qatar and Dubai ". The State became the world runner-up in team discipline in 2008. Abdulrahman Saad A.S. Al Sulaiteen won an individual bronze medal at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games.

Show Jumping
In show jumping, Qatar is beginning to position itself internationally. The 2006 Asian Games, held in Doha, saw the victory of Ali Yousuf Ahmad Saad Al Rumaihi, who won the gold medal in the individual discipline with his stallion Nagano. The 2011 Pan Arab Games also saw Qatar finish second in the discipline. The State buys many Grand Prix horses, including Kellemoi de Pépita owned by the French jockey Michel Robert (2011), and Zorro Z, Castiglione L, Ambiente (2010), and Palloubet d'Halong (for the record sum of 11 million euros), entrusted to Ali Yousuf Ahmad Saad Al Rumaihi. The mare Utascha was acquired in December 2013 and entrusted to the jockey Khalid Mohammed Al Emadi.

The capital city of Doha has hosted the Global Champions Tour finals since 2013. In February 2014, the best show jumping jockey in the state was Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani, who was ranked 93rd in the world after a dazzling rise over the 2012–2013 season, which was embodied by a 151-place climb. He has been identified as a jockey "to watch" by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports. In fact, Qatar is one of the countries where show jumping is developing the most.

The investment policy in this discipline is not limited to the purchase of the best horses, as it includes very advanced training of Qatari jockeys. In June 2014, for the first time, a Global Champions Tour Grand Prix (in Monaco) was won by a Qatari jockey, Bassem Hassan Mohammed. The Qatari show jumping team, coached by Jan Tops, has been steadily climbing the ranks of the discipline and is now winning major international competitions. It won its qualification for the 2016 Olympic Games in February 2015, at the FEI Nations Cup in Abu Dhabi.

The horse in the local culture
The horse, especially the Arabian horse, has always had a great place in the local culture. This is due in particular to the influence of the Muslim religion and the Quran, in which the breeding of horses was encouraged by Muhammad. The cultural heritage of the Qatari Amirs also plays a role: horse riding and falconry are part of the traditional practices that glorify their power and tribal heritage. This history explains the investment of the Gulf countries in equestrian and horse activities. However, the perception of the horse has changed over the last century: from a precious gift, the horse has become a "pedestal" to enhance the value of the sovereign family as well as a "common consumer good".

Controversies
Qatar's arrival on the international equestrian and horse racing scene has been followed by controversies surrounding the actions of jockeys and investors. Qatari horses have tested positive for doping several times in endurance riding events. The scandals also involve horses dying of exhaustion after these events. They multiplied in 2012 and 2013. Eighty percent of the doping cases detected in endurance events involve jockeys from the Middle East, particularly those from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar. These problems in the treatment of endurance horses have been pointed out by several European equestrian federations. In June 2015, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports responded by sentencing Nasser Khalifa N.J Al Thani to a 27-month ban from competition, due to his horse Brookleigh Caspar testing positive during a 120-kilometer race held in Doha in April 2014.

Another problem is Qatar's climate, which is not suitable for sport riding or horse welfare.

Similarly, Qatar's investment in French equestrian sport and horsemanship has caused unease. The mare Kellemoi de Pépita, bought from Michel Robert by Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani, was one of France's medal chances for the 2012 Summer Olympics. If some jockeys see Qatar's purchases in a bad light, others, like Michel Hécart, are in favor of them. Some French horse racing players also believe that the Qatari monopoly on the best-endowed French races is closing the best gallop races to French coaches.