Qatar Nationals 2001

The Champions
Some of the classes were well filled both in quality and quantity with beautiful participants up to the last place. However, as with most horse shows the quality of the females outclassed the colts and stallions by far.

Photo: Susanne Bösche
Junior Champion Filly Ftoon Al Shaqab

The Junior Champion Filly Championship was swept by Nasser Stud. Ftoon Al Shaqab (Al Aadeed Al Shaqab x Malvina) – bred by Al Shaqab but owned by Nasser Stud – was Champion with Aliah Al Nasser (Imperial Mahzeer x Dyn Aliah) went Reserve. Judge Peter Gamlin praised the quality of the filly classes: “It was a great joy to judge them. You can easily recognize that an excellent generation of future brood-mares with huge potential grows up!”

Photo: Susanne Bösche
Aliah Al Nasser was awarded the
Reserve Champion title

Photo: Susanne Bösche
Junior Champion Colt Ansata Haisam

Al Naif’s young “moving machine” Ansata Haisam (Ansata Hejazi x Alajneha Nahme) – who has out-trotted Al Rayyan’s ultra-refined Ansata Selman (Ansata Hejazi x G Shafaria) in his class – was made Junior Champion Colt.

Photo: Susanne Bösche
Ansata Selman (Ansata Hejazi x G Shafaria)
was second in his class

To top it off, Al Naif’s yearling colt Jandeh (Ansata Shalim x Ansata Nile Gypsy) was awarded the Reserve Champion title!

Photo: Susanne Bösche
Jandeh Al Naif
(Ansata Shalim x Ansata Nile Gipsy)

The well-known Champion mare Kamassayah (Imperial Al Kamar x Sundar Alisayyah) once again entered the showring this year and – once again – was unbeatable! Owned by Al Shaqab, Kamassayah collected the Senior Champion Mare title with the beautiful Mezna Al Rayyan (Imperial Mahzeer x Ansata Magnifica) of Al Naif stud as Reserve Champion.

Photo: Susanne Bösche
Unbeatable as always: Kamassayah

Photo: Susanne Bösche
Reserve Champion Mare Mezna Al Rayyan

Then the senior stallions trotted in. Not an easy task for Peter Gamlin, who was the judge of this class. “I favour athletic stallions, a quality that all horses of this class represented!” Finally the versatile and functional but nevertheless exceptionally beautiful stallion Safi Al Shaqab (Safir x Poema) trotted away with the Champion title – much to the delight of Al Shaqab’s manager, Sheikh Hamad Al-Thani.

Photo: Susanne Bösche
The Champion Stallion Safi Al Shaqab

Reserve Senior Champion Stallion was Al Naif’s aforementioned beautifully moving Ansata Nile Echo (Ansata Hejazi x Ansata White Nile), who – as his name implies – stems from Ansata’s cherished “Nile” Family.

Photo: Susanne Bösche
Ansata Nile Echo trotted away with the Reserve title

The show is over now, I’m sitting at my computer writing this article and it’s a colt and rainy day in a grey Germany. Where is my magic carpet? If you wish to experience the beauty and mystique of Qatar for your own, plan to attend the next international show at the beginning of March 2002. Hope to see you there!

Photo: Rik van Lent jr.

Dear Friends
Hereby I like you to inform that coming March, Qatar will celebrate its 11th Festival of the Arabian Horse.
On behalf of the Racing and Equestrian club of Qatar I like to invite you all to come and attend the show. There will be the show during the 3rd and the 4^th March, riding and performance classes during the 5th. On the 4th after the Championships, Al Rayyan Farm will held its open-house party and presentation. On the 5th Al Shaqab Farm will organise a presentation and dinner as will Al Nasser Stud, Al Naif Stud and Al Shahaniya Stud. You need to spend two or three extra days after the show if you don't like to miss anything.

For your stay I suggest the Doha Sheraton hotel, they make a special effort for the visitors of the show and it's really worth to stay in this magnificent hotel. There are direct flights with Qatar airways (new planes!) from Munich – Paris – London almost daily! Further you have connections with British Airways, Gulf Air, Emirates, KLM and others.
Visa will be organised for you by sending us a copy of your passport, then we will finish it here for you in Qatar and fax you a receipt back to board the flight and enter the country. Transport within Qatar will be serviced for you by the Racing and Equestrian Club - from the airport, to the hotel, the show-grounds and to different farms.

If you like to have more information about hotel reservations, flight possibilities and visa, please don't hesitate to ask through the Forum or to contact me directly here.

Hope to hear from you
Bart van Buggenhout
General Manager of Al Rayyan