Mohammed bin Rashid ... A leader par excellence Mohammed bin ...

experience & knowledge of HH, and the establishmentof the Godolphin Racing Stables was a typical formatfor realizing the aspirations and objectives of HH.HH intended to give Dubai a bigger role in the welfareof horses and decided to shift his horses to Dubai duringthe winter, and the decision initially sounded oddto many racing specialists, but they soon came to realizethat the decision underlined a great knowledgeand experience that enabled HH later to train and selectthe best horses.The success and growth of Godolphin coincided with,and undoubtedly assisted, the rise of Dubai’s internationalprofile. At the time it was established, ownerstended to race their horses only on their own continent.HH Sheikh Mohammed wanted to race his horsesall over the world and to encourage others to do thesame. The world’s richest horse race, the Dubai WorldCup, was established in 1996 with this aim in mind.That first World Cup was won by an American horse,Cigar, and the race continues to attract entries fromaround the globe.HH Sheikh Mohammed has earned international recognitionas a horse owner, as evidenced by the SpecialEclipse Award he received in 2001. What is not sowidely known is that HH is also an exceptionally giftedrider. However, his chosen field - endurance racing -has yet to gain the international popularity of traditionalhorse racing.Endurance racing is the equestrian equivalent of amarathon. Most endurance races are well over 120kilometres in distance and take several hours to complete.The riders need to establish a strong bond withtheir horses and be able to read their condition quicklyand accurately, as there are stringent veterinarychecks at regular points in the race and if the horseshows signs of deterioration the rider is asked to retire7Issue 31 - January 2011 - www.rta.ae