Rabdan Digital Judging Debuts as UAE National Arabian Horse Championship Gets Under Way at Boudheib

Abu Dhabi, The Gulf Observer: A field of 500 Arabian horses, entered by 267 exhibitors, began competing on Friday for prize money totalling AED4.47 million as the UAE National Arabian Horse Championship opened at the Grand Hall of Boudheib Academy.

The Emirates Arabian Horse Society (EAHS) is staging the four-day event using its own Rabdan digital judging system. The electronic platform is intended to bring greater accuracy, transparency and fairness to the scoring of horses.

The opening day was devoted largely to the yearling fillies, contested across six sections, and margins were narrow throughout. Two sections had to be settled by tie-breakers.

Section A was decided on movement. ALA Hashdeh, owned by Hamdan Mohammed Butti Al Abdouli, and Sultanat Al Dar, owned by Mohammed Al Jawaan Al Shamsi, both scored 90.80 points. ALA Hashdeh claimed the win on her higher movement score, and Ghadeer Al Saad, owned by Adel Omar Al Marzouqi, completed the podium with 90.1 points.

Al Aryam Arabians took Section B with Al Aryam Reham on 91.5 points. Al Jawaher Stud’s JS Maleka followed on 91, with Saayeb Al Dar, from Mohammed Al Jawaan Al Shamsi’s stable, close behind on 90.9.

In Section C, Shamsa Rashid Al Hajeri’s Wasmiya Al Hawajer won with 91.3 points. Hayfa Al Fahaid, owned by Mohammed Saeed Al Hajeri, was second on 90.5, and A.L.R Dana, owned by Mohammed Yousuf Mohammed Al Rasheed, third on 90.3.

The highest yearling score of the day came in Section D. Al Aryam Hames, owned by Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, earned 92.2 points. Amara Stables’ AJ Saalmah was second with 91.6, and Ahmed Ghanem Al Hajeri’s Rahaf Al Hawajer third with 91.5.

Section E went to Al Sultana K, owned by Saad Siddiq Fath Ali Al Khaja, on 91.3 points. Al Noor Stud’s Bhajat Al Noor was second on 91.1, and Maitha Yousif Ali Al Rasheed’s A.L.R Juman third on 90.2.

The category closed with Section F, won by JS Honey, owned by Abdullah Mohammed Sharif Al Baidhaei, on 91.1 points. Behind her, Shomoukh Al Gazzaz, owned by Saleh Bakhit Saeed Al Muharrami, and Al Meydan Stud’s Afra Al Meydan tied on 89.8. Shomoukh Al Gazzaz took second place on her higher type score.

Dubai Arabian Horse Stud dominated the two-year-old fillies, winning both sections held on the day. D Sdeirah took Section A with 91.9 points, ahead of Mohammed Butti Al Abdouli’s ALA Wadima on 91.3 and Maryam Mohammed Salem Al Kindi’s BW Najah on 91. D Faqeehah then won Section B with 92 points. Al Aryam Arabians’ Al Aryam Aneeda was second by a tenth of a point, and Ajman Stud’s AJ Saihat third on 91.6.

The championship continues on Saturday with the final section of the two-year-old fillies, the three-year-old fillies and four sections of senior mares, ending with the first yearling colts class. Sunday is dedicated to the colts across all age groups and opens the senior stallions classes. The remaining stallion qualifiers take place on Monday, followed by the championship finals in which this year’s champions in each category will be crowned.