Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed said he believes the future is bright for Purebred Arabian racing.
Over 400 delegates from 80 countries arrive in Warsaw this week for the annual World Arabian Horse Racing Conference, staged under the patronage of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
It is the sixth such conference, after the inaugural one was set up in Abu Dhabi in 2010.
“The aim has always been to enhance the status of the Purebred Arabian horse and this is precisely what the festival has been striving to achieve,” he said.
“Regular meetings, discussions and exchange of expertise augur well for the future of Purebred Arabian racing.”
Assem Mirza, the UAE ambassador to Poland, will open the conference on Thursday ahead of a session focusing on breeding.
Other subjects will include racing and training, weight loss control, rules and conditions, as well as the role of women in Purebred Arabian racing.
There will also be a card of racing on Sunday in Warsaw.
The HH Sheikh Mansour Global Arabian Horse Racing Festival is staged in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.
“The last five editions of the WAHRC have ensured a better understanding of the problems facing the Arabian racing fraternity and progress has been steady,” said Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, chairman of Tourism Development and Investment Company.
“We hope this sixth World Arabian Horse Racing Conference will take Purebred Arabian horse racing to the next level.”
In the middle of this positive atmosphere Purebred Arabian racing did suffer one loss this week with the death yesterday of trainer Jean-Francois Bernard after a long and complicated illness.
The French handler saddled Al Mamum Monlau to win the 2013 Dubai Kahayla Classic at Meydan Racecourse for Al Shaqab.
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