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The 21st edition of the Dubai International Arabian Horse Championship kicked off on Friday night, welcoming over 109 female Arabian foals, fillies, and mares for the qualifying classes segment of the weekend-long competition.

Hosted at Zabeel Halls 4, 5, and 6 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center, the highly anticipated event will see a total of 102 horse studs compete for a total prize purse of US$4 million across 14 categories, with the Gold Champion Senior receiving the highest award value of US$275,000.

To mark the first day of the competition, participating horses took to the arena in a stunning display of equestrian elegance, showcasing the quality and character of Arabian horses descended from some of the world’s leading breeds, and owned by some of the world’s most prestigious owners.

Each horse was assessed on its stand-out aesthetic features, including its head, neck, chest, body, and feet, as well as the symmetry of its body and its agility, with a chance to appear before a committee of internationally acclaimed expert judges.

The categories are defined by a distinct points system,with each horse nominated for a Gold Medal obtaining four points, and each nominated for Silver and Bronze receiving two points and one point, respectively.

Two non-qualifying categories – filly foals and colt foals – introduced the night’s agenda, with the award money ranging from US$2,000 up to US$15,000. For the remaining qualifying classes, which will propel the podium-placing horses to the championship tournament on Sunday, the award money reaches a total of US$25,000.

In Class 13, the non-qualifying filly foals category, Ajeebah Albidayer claimed first place with 154 points, Maha Al Fahaid placed second with a total of 84 points, and MK Ghazll followed closely in third place with 81 points.

The non-qualifying colt foals segment, Class 14, saw Farid Al Hamidiya snag the winning nomination with 124 points, while Rabi Al E’zz received 121 points and A L A Mash’Hoorranked third with 117 points.

Class 1-A, the first of the qualifying categories which encompassed yearling fillies,saw D Rowa and Al Aryam Harbah tie for first place, with D Rowa claiming the victory at the last minute based on her type. Al Aryam Aboortook third place, only 0.84 points behind the leading pair, concluding an especially competitive round of presentations.

Class 1-B of yearling fillies was an especially close podium ranking, finishing with Shamikhat Al Hawajer at 91.75 points, Al Aryam Ola at 91.25 points, and Nasayem Al E’zz with 91.08 points, with the latter just ending up ahead of Lana Al Firas after a tie-breaking decision from the judging panel.

D Aserah placed first in Class 2, which is reserved for fillies ages two years old, with Al Aryam Sahayeb and LoulwahRaghwan placing second and third. Class 3 comprised of fillies aged three years old;D Raseel rose to the top of the category with 92.58 points, while E.S. Sharjah snagged the silver at 92.33 points and SS Farah Tallinwas awarded the bronze with 92.08 points.

Mares aged four to six years old competed against each other in the Class 4 category. AJ Alula won the qualifying tournament with 92.83 points, while the judges appointed Irvinna Al Shiraa in second place and D Jooreyyah in third, finishing with 92.50 and 92.42 points each.

Older mares ages seven to nine years old appeared in the Class 5 category. At the top of the podium was AJ Sajwa, garnering 92.75 points for her stunning performance. Falling just behind of the winning position was AJ Barakah, at 92.67 points, and Da Little Princess snagged a spot in third place with a total of 92.58 points.

The final category of the evening, Class 6, included a series of consecutive displays from mares aged 10 years and older. A picture of senior equine sophistication, the round concluded with D Aziza in first place, followed by BasandraSettimocielo and Wildona, wrapping up a night of non-stop action that paid homage to the UAE’s long-standing history of excellence in Arabian equestrianism.

Running through 24 March, day two of the competition will see several male Arabian horses complete the second qualifying tournament before the winning three horses from each category enter the championship on Sunday.

Regarded as one of the world’s oldest and most esteemed equestrian events, the Dubai International Arabian Horse Championship is a rigorous competition that displays the best of Arabian equine tradition and pageantry.

To learn more about this year’s competition, visit www.diahc.ae.