Adeeb Athbah Wins 17th Leg of UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses in Libya

Benghazi, The Gulf Observer: The horse Adeeb Athbah has been crowned champion of the 17th leg of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses, held at the Al Watan Shooting and Equestrian Club racecourse in Benghazi, Libya, as part of the 33rd edition of the prestigious international racing series.

The event marked the Cup’s return to Libya for the second consecutive year and was organised as part of the Third Libya Heritage Carnival, which featured 16 horse races over two days.

The main race was contested over a distance of 2,000 metres on a dirt track, with 15 elite purebred Arabian horses competing for the title.

Adeeb Athbah, owned by Al Watan Club, trained by Nasser Smeiri and ridden by Salim bin Al Habib Al Farchichi, delivered an impressive performance to secure first place in a time of 2 minutes and 34.25 seconds.

RB To The House finished second, followed by Hatem in third place. AA Burning Down secured fourth position, while Lord de Lardous completed the top five.

With this victory, Adeeb Athbah became the second horse to win the Libya leg of the prestigious competition, following Afjan, who claimed the inaugural Benghazi title in 2025.

The event attracted more than 5,000 spectators to the Al Watan Shooting and Equestrian Club racecourse, reflecting the growing popularity of Arabian horse racing in Libya and the competition’s standing among equestrian enthusiasts.

The race and awards ceremony were attended by Lieutenant General Saddam Khalifa Haftar, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces; Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Falconers’ Club; Abdulla Mubarak Al Muhairi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority; and Saeed Khalifa Al Muhairi, representative of the Higher Organising Committee of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses.

The leading competitors were honoured during the ceremony, while the trophy for the Libya leg was presented to the owner of the winning horse.

Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri, Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses, said the successful staging of the Libya leg for the second consecutive year reflected the competition’s expanding international presence and growing importance within the Arabian horse racing community.

He noted that the Benghazi race demonstrated a high level of competition, highlighting the preparedness of participating horses and the strong challenge for the title. He also said the substantial public attendance demonstrated the Cup’s popularity and acknowledged the contributions of participants and organisers.

Al Dhaheri added that the competition continued to achieve its objectives through the vision and sustained support of the UAE leadership, creating greater opportunities for Arabian horse owners and breeders while promoting the international development of Arabian horse racing.

He described the Cup’s return to Libya for a second consecutive year as an important milestone in expanding the competition internationally, expressing hope that the success in Benghazi would provide a foundation for further progress in promoting Arabian horses and preserving the UAE’s equestrian heritage.

The UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses is an international initiative aimed at supporting horse owners and breeders, encouraging the breeding and preservation of purebred Arabian horses, and strengthening their presence at leading racecourses around the world.