MEDIA ADVISORY: Maryland Horse Expected to be Top Contender in New International Equine Event

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Feb. 23, 2012) – A Maryland-based and trained Arabian horse, owned by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, brother of the current president of the United Arab Emirates, is among the top contenders to win a new international race dedicated to honoring women in Arabian racing.

Dixies Valentine, who is headquartered, trained and continues to be stabled at Rigbie Farm in Harford County, will compete in the inaugural running of the H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak IFAHR Cup in Houston next month. Sheikha Fatima is the wife of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder and first President of the UAE. Dixies Valentine,  is owned by one of Sheikha Fatima’s sons, Sheikh Tahnoon, who has boarded and trained his world class Arabian horses at Rigbie Farm for 20 years.  Dixies Valentine has been nominated as Older Mare Champion of the Year and has twice been named a Champion Arabian Filly of the Year.

Sheikh Tahnoon owns an Arabian racing and breeding herd in the United States – and that herd is at Rigbie Farm, which is owned by Sharon Clark. Ms. Clark, is authorized by USDA and Maryland Departments of Agriculture to operate the state’s only active Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) Quarantine Station – a stable which receives and holds horses under federal import quarantine while extensive testing is being conducted to ensure they are free from the disease before they are released. Another of Sheikh Tahnoon’s horses, Golden Odessy, was bred in Maryland and is nominated for Arabian racing’s top 3 year-old filly honors. The championship awards, named the “Darley Awards,” are presented in Houston on March 4, the day following the Sheikha Fatima Cup.

The new race is being included in the H.H. Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival, a global race started in 2009 with legs throughout the world. The March leg, where Dixies Valentine will run, will be held in Houston on March 3. For more about the festival, see: www.sheikhmansoorfestival.com.

What:  The UAE Embassy in Washington D.C., in conjunction with the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival will host a briefing for media and industry representatives. The briefing will announce the U.S. schedule for the Festival and introduce a new series of awards, The HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Darley Awards, the first of its kind to honor women who have achieved success in the Arabian horse racing industry.

Where: The UAE Embassy, 3522 International Court NW, Washington D.C.

When: Noon to 2 p.m., Monday, February 27th 2012.

Who:  Leaders from the UAE and U.S. Arabian Horse racing community.

RSVP: Media and other interested parties are asked to RSVP in advance.  Please confirm your participation no later than Friday, February 24, to CSettle@uaeembassy-usa.org. For more information about the briefing event, call 202-243-2448.