And they’re off... six riders race around a basic track as the horses kick up a cloud of dust. Unfortunately, we do not know the date this photo of a horse race in Abu Dhabi was taken. But we do know it was shot by John Vale.
Vale was a British oil worker who started working here in the late 1950s and snapped scenes of UAE life throughout the ’60s and ’70s.
Today, there are modern racing facilities across the country at Meydan, Jebel Ali and Sharjah.
And of course at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, the home of racing in the capital.
The club was founded by the late president, Sheikh Zayed, in the 1970s and staged private meetings for Arabian horses until the early 1990s.
Then, open racing began and a few years later, floodlights were installed, along with air-conditioned stables and a 5,000-seat grandstand. And if you’re really keen, you can catch racing at Al Ain tonight and tomorrow in Abu Dhabi. Both meets start at 5pm.
* John Dennehy
