FROM LEFT: Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club's (QREC) Acting CEO Bader Mohammed Al Darwish, QREC Chairman Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi and QREC Racing Manager Abdullah Al Kubaisi during a press conference yesterday.
Doha: The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) has unveiled the new identity for the ‘H H the Amir’s Sword Festival,’ which will take place from February 13-15, 2025, at the Al Rayyan racetrack.
The details of the prestigious festival were announced, alongside a significant increase in international participation compared to previous years, reflecting the festival’s growing reputation and ongoing development.
This announcement came during a press conference held yesterday, at the club’s headquarters, attended by Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club Chairman Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, Acting CEO of the club Bader Mohammed Al Darwish, QREC Racing Manager Abdullah Al Kubaisi, and representatives of various media outlets.
Al Mohannadi also revealed the new identity of the festival, which is the ‘Bisht’, symbolizing Qatari heritage and reinforcing the nation’s proud legacy, noting that the festival will be a grand carnival for both Qatari and international equestrianism, reflecting the distinguished status that horse racing has achieved in Qatar.
$10m in prizes for winners: Al Mohannadi
Speaking on the occasion, Al Mohannadi, said: “It is my pleasure to welcome you all to this occasion, as we are only a few days away from the start of the ‘His Highness the Amir’s Sword Festival,’ an event that holds great significance for the entire Qatari equestrian community and particularly for the horse racing family. It is an event that we all eagerly await each season with great anticipation.”
He added, “today, we are announcing the new identity of the festival, which reflects our desire to express our heritage and culture with pride and to demonstrate the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s commitment to developing the festival and positioning it on the map of major racing events in the region and worldwide.”
“The festival will take place at the Al Rayyan racetrack, which has been renovated to ensure top-level facilities for participants, including owners, trainers, and jockeys.
“The festival offers significant financial prizes, as we raised the prize pool in the previous season to unprecedented levels in the history of the festival. The total prize value for the festival is $10m. The prize for the last two races on the final day of the festival will be $2.5m each,” he said.
“Continuing with the strategy set by the club’s management years ago to increase international participation, this year’s festival will feature a number of owners, trainers, and jockeys from outside Qatar, demonstrating their trust in the high standards of the event, which adheres to the highest global equestrian racing standards.
“Today, we also announce the sponsors partnering with the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club to support the festival. We consider them key partners in our success during this distinguished carnival. We always emphasize the importance of the relationship with our success partners, which helps us meet our ambitions and leads to even greater collaboration. I wish everyone the best of luck, and I expect strong and exciting competition among participants from both within and outside Qatar, ensuring the festival will live up to the great name it carries.”
The identity reflects our heritage and traditions: Al Darwish
Al Darwish, said, “The new identity of the festival reflects our heritage and the Qatari legacy that we take pride in. The inclusion of the ‘bisht’ in the identity is significant, as it is a tradition we proudly wear at major international events. This year’s festival will witness the participation of many strong horses, contenders for the titles. Attention will be focused on the horse ‘Al Ghadir,’ who is the top contender to win His Highness the Amir’s Sword and claim the Triple Crown title for the second consecutive year. We wish good luck to all participants.”
Al Rayyan Racetrack ready for the festival: Al Kubaisi
For his part, Al Kubaisi said: “This year’s festival will see the participation of 28 horses from outside Qatar, which reflects the growing international involvement of owners, trainers, and jockeys. The Al Rayyan racetrack was tested during the Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani’s Rifle Race after the maintenance work was completed, confirming its readiness to host the festival. The races will take place over the three days of the festival, with strong and anticipated races each day due to the high level of horses participating in every race.”
