Riding The Dream: How The Saudi Equestrian World Is Embracing The Women Of The Sport

With 2022’s Saudi Cup due to commence, Bazaar Arabia speaks to three trailblazing females who are making their mark on the sport…

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has supported female engagement in sectors such as business, culture, the arts, and sports by advocating for their participation in countless competitions in the Kingdom – and this includes horse racing and, of course, the Saudi Cup 2022.

Although horse racing still remains a male-dominated sport in KSA, in recent years, women have undoubtedly broken into this world and asserted their strong presence.

Sarah Al-Qahtani, the first female horse racing trainer, says, “My father was a racehorse trainer and raised me since I was little with horse racing. He always inspired me to join him in routine morning exercises and allowed me the opportunity to observe the way he trained horses [and how he] prepared them for races.” Sarah’s childhood dream has grown with her, but it is not until now that she has seized the chance to enter the Saudi horse racing community. When this opportunity presented itself to Sarah, she took her father’s advice and passed the training test to become the first female horse racing trainer in the Kingdom.

Since the age of five, Sarah has had an ardent passion for horses. While she lacked a female role model in the field, she would diligently accompany her father on his morning exercises. She states, “The horse riding community in the Kingdom is a male-dominated community… especially horse racing, due to the fact that it is an arduous sport. Morning exercises for horses start at 2:00 until 8:00 in order to take advantage of the cool morning temperatures. Some, however, may find it odd to see a woman working in the stable during these times; but today, women’s engagement in all facets of society has become fundamental.”

Sarah Al-Qahtani recalls her first participation in the Taif season as the first Saudi assistant trainer, and says, “My focus was on the horse racing community because I know the way they think. I actually anticipated their criticism of my being among them at that time, but I was able to showcase my skills in the field.” She affirms, “Today horse racing is open to female horse jockeys as well as women horse owners. I see there is a demand for racehorse training too, and this is what I aspire to achieve as a woman in this field.”

Madawi Al-Qahtani broke into the horse racing world from a different angle, having participated in horse racing for over 15 years. She acquired a training license in show jumping from the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation. In 2016, Madawi has also established the first women’s horse riding school in Janadriyah. Madawi says, “I devoted myself to conducting extensive research prior to establishing this school. I used to train several women, ensuring their needs were met. They were fond of horses and equestrianism and offered to support me. It became clear to me that there was a gap in the horse racing world, as there was no designated place for women to freely practice this sport without having to wear the abaya or headscarf, due to the presence of men.”

As a female horse jockey, she was keen to provide enthusiasts of the sport with anything they needed; she was able to reach her goal by recognising the needs of female horse riders, being that she was one herself. Madawi continued training and ensured the development of women’s talents in the horse racing field, until she was requested by His Highness Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal to manage his stable and oversee his granddaughters’ training, which she did for an entire year.

After participating in the Saudi Cup last year as a trainee horse jockey, Madawi is now participating in the Saudi Cup 2022 as an assistant trainer, overseeing the presentation of horses from a Saudi stable participating in the race.

As a trainee jockey, Amal Faisal is attending the Saudi Cup this year to cheer for the stable that took her in following her time abroad. She had begun her equestrian training overseas, and she says, “I was training abroad, and when I returned home during the Corona pandemic in 2020, I was heartbroken at that time that I could not continue my horse race training.”

Amal wrote a letter to His Highness Prince Bandar bin Khaled Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation, requesting that she be able to join one of the stables as a trainee jockey with the hopes of taking part in future horse racing events as a jockey, and thus she was able to join the stable of His Highness Prince Saud.

Amal first practiced the sport abroad, before she had the opportunity to further her equestrian career in Saudi Arabia; she describes her participation as a Saudi trainee jockey in Prince Saud bin Salman’s stable as gratifying.

“I received all of the support I could have imagined from His Highness the Prince and from all the members of the team. His Highness was keen to ensure equality of opportunity between men and women and with regards to equal pay,” she says. “I indeed owe him a great deal for every achievement I accomplished in the field. Having individuals supporting female talent in equestrianism, I think, in the future, the opportunities afforded to women will be comparable to those open to men.”

The Saudi Cup – the world’s most expensive horse race, with prizes totalling $30.5 million, – is now a highly anticipated event for horse racing lovers. It brings together both culture and entertainment. Even those who are not particularly invested in the sport will be looking to attend the special event, as it will comprise of an array of shows and various other forms of entertainment.

In collaboration with the Saudi Fashion Authority, all attendees are required to wear official Saudi dress, with the aim of promoting local identity and strengthening national heritage during major international events. The event is being held this year in conjunction with the Saudi Founding Day celebrations (February 22), during which we will witness dazzling performances showcasing the best of Saudi local heritage.

Originally written for Harper’s Bazaar Saudi and translated from Arabic.

For more information on tickets to the event, please visit halayalla.com