Prizes for a pair of high flyers

Competitors encourage their falcon on the first day of the Noukhba Finals of the Fazza Championship for Falconry at Meydan in Dubai. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

DUBAI // Two brothers pocketed Dh500,000 each and drove off in brand new Bentleys on Wednesday after they and their birds dominated the region’s top falconry event.

Khalifa and Hamad bin Mijren took the top prizes on the first day of the Noukhba Finals of the Fazza Championship for Falconry in Dubai.

Khalifa won the Farkh category for young birds when his Gyr Shaheen falcon covered 300 metres in 17.471 seconds. Hamad took the Jirnas title for older birds, his Gyr Tebah falcon clocking 17.709 seconds over 500 metres.

Organised by the Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Centre, the championship is the only competition open to all falcon breeds and competitors.

“It has grown tremendously in its 13-year history and is now the most anticipated falconry championship in the entire GCC,” said championship director Souad Darwish.

She thanked Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and patron of the championships, for his support and encouragement.

“It is due to the level of support received by this traditional sport of our forefathers that the UAE is universally recognised as having the highest level of care and passion for falconry in the GCC today, one that all other countries aspire to replicate.”

A two-day competition for non-Emirati GCC falconers begins on Thursday.