The Arabian Sport Horse Championship (ASHC), an annual multi-disciplinary equestrian sporting event under the patronage of Sheikha Hissa Bint Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, announces its 2023 Championship which will be held on Saturday May 6th, 2023 at Boudheib Equestrian Academy in Abu Dhabi. The event is exclusively for purebred and part-bred Arabian horses in the UAE and was founded to give Arabian horses additional opportunities to showcase their versatility.
Inspired by Arabian Horses and the UAE’s heritage
Arabian Horses have been an integral part of the United Arab Emirates’ heritage and were beloved by HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Father of the Nation. In describing Arabian horses, he said, “I have inherited his (Sheikh Zayed Bin Khalifa, known as Zayed the Great) love of the horse, a love rooted deeply in the history of our people. It has become part of my belief in the essential goodness of nature and of man. Such beliefs, emanating from the religious faith in Islam, have sustained Arabs throughout history. The Arab horse, the asil breed of the desert, noble harbinger of strength, beauty, courage and fidelity, has always been a part of this history”.
In the United Arab Emirates, the Arabian horse breed most often competes in the popular sports of flat racing and endurance racing as well as beauty shows. ASHC encourages pure and part bred Arabian horse owners and equestrians in the region to retrain their horses to sport horse disciplines, and offers a wide range of competition in these fields.
Increasing Opportunities to Compete in the UAE
Leading up to the championship, ASHC has sponsored 25 classes so far with 86 participants at existing national and club equestrian events across the country. Locations include:
- Al Forsan Equestrian Centre
- Boudheib Equestrian Academy Club
- Desert Palm Equestrian Centre
- Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club
- Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club
- Sharjah Equestrian & Racing Club
- Sustainable City Equestrian Centre
Class Information
ASHC will feature 15 equestrian classes, with both individual and team events:
- ASHC Sport Horse Championship: Open to individual entries, the traditional Sport Horse Championship titles consist of a Dressage test, a Jumping class & an Arena Eventing class offered at 3 levels – Novice, Intermediate & Advanced.
- ASHC Versatility Team Championship: 6 competition class types (Dressage, Jumping, Arena Eventing, Jumping Accumulator, Chase Me Charlie & Barrel Racing) which must be participated in by at least 1 team member. The winning team is the one with the highest combined points.
- Individual Class Options: Dressage, Jumping, Arena Eventing, Jumping Accumulator, Chase Me Charlie & Barrel Racing are open to individual entries.
Prize Money
Total prize money is set at over 170,000AED.
On Site Activations
ASHC 2023 will offer a variety of entertainment options for spectators, including:
- Displays from Ali Al Amri, “The UAE Horse Master”
- Performance by the UAE Tent Pegging Team
- Falcons
- Pony rides
- Henna artist
- Food trucks
- Trade stands
- Kids entertainment
Rider Participation
The registration form is online at the ASHC website www.ashcuae.com. Please contact show@ashcuae.com with any queries.
Visitors
General admission to ASHC is free of charge and visitor information can be found at https://ashcuae.com/visitors/.
Live streaming links will be available on the ASHC website and social media prior to the event.
Live results will be available through @ashcuae.
Keep up with the competition by following ASHC on @ashcuae.
Stay Connected
Keep up with ASHC by following @ashcuae on Facebook, and Instagram.
Sponsors
ASHC’s sponsors include:
- Al Asayl Stables
- Cavalos Equine Supplies
- Forta Stud
About The Arabian Sport Horse Championship
The Arabian Sport Horse Championship (ASHC) is a nonprofit entity established in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates in 2016. It is the only equestrian competition of its nature in the GCC.
