The “Al Samarraie Endurance Team” has published the following statement with regards to the invitation received by Nayla Al Samarraie to ride at the Presidents Cup in the UAE. They make it very clear that they will not accept this invitation:
Like Moira and Nayla Al Samarraie in 2016 and 2017, Nayla has been invited to the H.H. The President of UAE Endurance Cup CEI3* 160km in February. This is mainly the result of her amazing 14th place at the Junior WCH in Verona 2017.
It is common practice that the hosting organisation pays all costs for traveling and the stay during these competitions, but for some time also a finisher bonus will be paid, which can be a five-digit amount. These kind of invitations are no longer an honor – it often has become a rather hard-hitting calculus. The free participation and the finisher bonus are very appetizing and lead to big numbers of entries and produce a better finisherquote – which is a positiv marketing effect. Winners are normally always local riders – in the light of the high-caliber starter field this has a special value. Finally a lot of experienced horses with high potential are tested before the shopping with previously declared prices begins. Then the newly purchased horses become part of the „faster, faster“-machinery – and they will pay the bill.
We will not be part of this kind of games! We will not legitimate this kind of ruthless use of the horses, the speedmania which goes beyond the natural physiological limits of performance horses because at the end of the day a lot of horses are paying the bill – in the races, we only see the tip of the iceberg. For this we do not breed since more than 25 years endurance horses, rear them with calm and perspective, bring them with respect into the competitive sport and form them to longterm international succesful performers. We earn a lot of success in the competitions with this way but we loose a lot of possibilities to earn money. Some may laugh at us for that – but they cannot buy us against our convictions. Since the 1990´s, we collect Best Conditon Awards often in combination with winning, and most are our selfbreed horses. We have been one of the first to used the Boudheib-system – which we totally appreciate – outside the UAE for the ZSAA CEI-competition in Marbach.
We refuse to participate at these „funfairs“ of senseless profit-oriented race-activities. On behalf of the „Al Samarraie Endurance Team“ and „samarrastud“
Ahmed Al Samarraie
