Who is Natalie Lankester, Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed’s Wife?
As the couple prepare to welcome the arrival of their third child, Bazaar Arabia shares five facts you need to know about Natalie here…
Congratulations are in order for Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al Maktoum, the nephew of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and his wife, accomplished British equestrian Natalie Lankester.
The couple announced they’re expecting their third child, due to arrive in 2024. The couple took to Instagram to share a photo of the family, with their two daughters holding up an ultrasound scan, to announce the happy news.
“We are thrilled to announce that the newest member of our family will be joining us in 2024. Hessa and Alia are very excited to be big sisters, and we are all so grateful for this wonderful blessing,” the couple wrote within the caption.
Ahead of the arrival of their third child, Bazaar Arabia shares five facts you need to know about Natalie Lankester here.
Who is Natalie Lankester, Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed’s Wife?
She’s from the U.K.
Natalie Lankester spent her early years in KSA and was raised in Shropshire, England. She started training with horses at an early age under the guidance of her grandmother, who was also a dressage rider.
“It all stemmed from my grandmother,” she tells Bazaar Arabia. “She was a dressage rider and had horses at home, so I just grew up around them. She started her first dressage competition quite late in life and she didn’t spread her wings further than the UK. She was just based there and she did well. I started when I was young; we grew up with horses at home.”
She noted how riding took a bit of a backseat around the age of seven, but was able to bring her pony along to boarding school when she was 13.
She’s an accomplished dressage rider.
As a dressage rider, Natalie trains horses to precisely perform a predetermined sequence of movements and maneuvers in a graceful manner. She takes part in competitions that assess the correctness and quality of the the horse’s movements, and the overall harmony between horse and rider.
Natalie Lankester has represented the UAE in several international dressage competitions – including the Asian Games.
Natalie most recently participated in the 2022 Asian Games held in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, where she qualified for the final day as an individual. She previously took part in the Haras de Jardy competiton and CDI Deauville in France.
Throughout the past 18 months, Natalie has won numerous shows such as CDI Deauville 2022 and 2023; CDI Jardy 2022 amd CDI Crozet 2022 and 2023.
Natalie met Sheikh Rashid through their shared interest in horses.
Natalie moved to the UAE at the age of 21 and worked at a lighting design company for a couple of years.”It was during that time that I thought to myself, ‘I need to get back into the horsey scene!'” she told Bazaar Arabia. “I then saw an advertisement for a horse, so I went to try him – and that was it! I was back in thinking, ‘No, this is what I have to do.'”
Soon, Natalie decided to return to her passion for horse riding and met Sheikh Rashid in 2015 at the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club.
The couple wed in 2015 and welcomed their first child, Sheikha Hessa, in 2016.
The couple share two daughters together
Sheikh Rashid and Natalie share a loving bond with their two daughters Sheikha Hessa Bint Rashid Al Maktoum, 6, and Sheikha Alia Bint Rashid Al Maktoum, who turned four this February. Just like their parents, the girls have gained an interest in horses.
The couple are expecting their third child together.
She’s a true animal lover.
Though it’s obvious she’s passionate about horses, her love of animals doesn’t stop there. Natalie owned her own pet supplies business and currently has eleven dogs at home.
Lead image courtesy of Instagram/@natalie_lankester_dressage