MUSCAT — His Majesty Sultan Qaboos yesterday presided over the Annual Royal Horse Race Festival being organised by the Royal Court Affairs, represented by the Royal Cavalry. The event was held at Madinat Al Adiyat Race Course in the Wilayat of Seeb. The festival was attended alongside His Majesty the Sultan by Royal Family members, chairmen of the Majlis Addawla and Majlis Ash’shura, ministers, advisers, wing commanders of the Sultan's Armed Forces and the Royal Oman Police, members of the two Majlises, under-secretaries, heads of diplomatic missions accredited to the Sultanate, members of the judicial authority and senior military and civil officers.
The festival's programmes began upon the arrival of His Majesty the Sultan, the moment at which the band 
of the Royal Guard of Oman played the Royal anthem. The six-round race including five pure Arabian horse races and one for thoroughbreds. In the first round “Race of Governorate of Muscat,” allocated for pure Arabian horses for 1,100 metres, Vazs Mane Son for the Royal Cavalry and riddden by Anas bin Salim al Siyabi came first, Atheer owned by the Royal Cavalry and ridden by Al Mu’atasim bin Said al Balushi came second, Qadeer owned by the Royal Cavalry and ridden by Hamad bin Mubarak al Wahibi came third.
In the second round “Race of Governorate of Musandam,” allocated for thoroughbreds for 1,600 metres, Zain Shamardal of the Royal Cavalry and ridden by Asaad bin Ali al Siyabi came first, 
Atlantic Brave owned by the Royal Cavalry and ridden by Yassir bin Jumayyil al Sunaidi came second, Emirates Roadshow owned by Faisal bin Abdullah al Mazroei came third. In the third round “Race of Governorate of South Al Sharqiyah,” allocated for the pure Arabian horses for 1,600 metres (as this round is allocated for the horses that top the rank in the races of season 2012/2013), Motsho Bello owned by Mohammed bin Saud al Khalili and ridden by Hamoud bin Hamad al Hajri came first, Chainactic owned by Mahboob bin Mohammed Hashmani and ridden by Aamir bin Salim al Ghunaimi came second, Chriss SWA owned by Khalid bin Mohammed bin Khasrozman and ridden by Mahir bin Juma al Balushi came 
third.
In the fourth round “Race of Governorate of Dhofar,” allocated for pure Arabian horses for 1,600 metres (The Fegentri Cup for amateur jockeys from different world countries), Djoulla owned by the Royal Cavalry and ridden by Raoul Dygas came first, Sakari owned by the Royal Cavalry and ridden by Jamie Flein came second, Wathiq owned by the Royal Cavalry and ridden by Ahmed bin Saif al Hadhrami came third. In the fifth round “Race of Governorate of North Al Batinah,” allocated for pure Arabian horses for 1,100 metres, Hasheemah owned by the Royal Cavalry and ridden by Fahd bin Omar al Rahbi came first, Al Kashif of the Royal Cavalry and ridden by Azhar bin Saif al Wardiyah came 
second, Al Awam owned by the Royal Cavalry and ridden by Hamoud bin Hamad al Hasani came third.
In the sixth and last round “Race of Hisn Al Shomoukh” allocated for pure Arabian horses for 2,000 metres on His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Cup, Al Ashram owned by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) and ridden by Husni bin Mubarak al Hajri came first, Vizi Des Cedres owned by the Royal Cavalry came second, Kiram owned by the Royal Cavalry and ridden by Anas bin Salim al Siyabi came third.
The festival included various interesting shows, most importantly canon dragging and equestrian skill shows, as well as showing the beauty of a number of new horses that joined the Royal Cavalry. 
International specialised teams in equestrian show took part in the festival, such as Piaf Trio Team from Holland. The French team winning the World Vaulting Cup also took part in the festival with some interesting vaulting and disabled equestrian shows.
At the end of the festival, the participating teams formed the concluding plateau after which His Majesty Sultan Qaboos handed over His Majesty’s cup to Husni bin Mubarak al Hajri, the winner of the sixth round and the cups for winners of the top places in other race rounds. The Royal anthem was then palyed marking the conclusion of the festival. After that, the motorcade of the country’s Monarch left Madinat al Adiyat with Allah’s Care. — ONA
