German official says the sport is moving slowly in the right direction

Frankfurt, Germany:  With the support of countries like the UAE and Qatar the German Racing Association of Purebred Arabians (DRAV) have embarked on the Herculean task of lifting the level of Purebred Arabian racing to that of European neighbours France.

Speaking to Gulf News in ahead of the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Listed) race at the Frankfurt racecourse today, DRAV Managing Director Hubert Lorenz admitted that it was an uphill task.

"To reach the level of breeding and racing that is currently the standard in France will take up many, many years but we are slowly moving in the right direction," Lorenz said, lamenting the fact that there was not a single German runner in today's Euros 15,000 Listed race.

Move will reflect in bilateral ties, ambassador to Germany says

Frankfurt: The UAE Ambassador to Germany, Mohammad Al Mahmoud, said the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan's Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival's Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup race held in Frankfurt on Sunday was a reflection of the UAE's support to the Purebred Arabian breed of horses.

"The late Shaikh Zayed laid the foundation and now Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, is taking it to a new level," the envoy said.

"This is a great initiative by Shaikh Mansour and will reflect in the bilateral ties between the UAE and Germany," the UAE ambassador said.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan's Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival to begin today in Frankfurt

Frankfurt - The German Racing Association of Arabian Horses (DRAV) along with UAE officials were excited over the HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan's Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival's Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup race to be held at the Frankfurt racecourse on August 8, 2010.
Hubert Lorenz of DRAV addressed a press conference at the venue on Thursday and said, "We are delighted to welcome the UAE's support for this race for the second year. This year it is a Listed event and this has enhanced the status both of this race as well as our Arabian racing." "We expect a large crown on Sunday and we hope to confirm and extend our partnership with the great initiative by Sheikh Mansour," he added.

Für Karin van den Bos hat sich die Reise nach Köln am vergangenen Sonntag gelohnt – zwei Siege und ein zweiter Platz hat sie mit drei Pferden in zwei Rennen gewonnen. Mehr geht nicht!

Am letzten Sonntag hatten die Araber wieder ihren Auftritt in Köln-Weidenpesch, wo sie mit drei Rennen, gesponsort von Sheikh Hamdan aus den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten, vertreten waren. Es trafen sich Prominenz aus den UAE mit Vertretern des DRAVs, um die Rennen zu verfolgen. Dabei gab sich kein geringerer als der Botschafter der UAE in Deutschland, S.E. Mohammed Ahmed Almahmood, wie auch Vertreter des Sponsors, Masoud Saleh vom Organisationskomitee Scheich Hamdan’s und vom Department of Civil Aviation in Dubai, Mr. Abdallah Al Ansari, die Ehre. 

Am 25. Juli werden auf der Rennbahn Köln-Weidenpesch wieder Arabische Vollblüter für exotisches Flair sorgen. Drei Araber-Rennen stehen auf der Karte. Seit nunmehr fünf Jahren wird der Al Maktoum Preis von Europa, ein Gruppe III Rennen für Arabische Vollblüter, in Köln ausgetragen.