Thepeninsulaqatar.comOctober 30 2014
Doha: A variety of guest speakers have been assembled for the 2014 World Arabian Horse Organisation (WAHO) conference in Qatar next month.
A team of internationally renowned experts with specialist knowledge in a wide range of subjects including equine welfare and behavioural studies, genetics and cultural heritage, will speak at the conference, which starts on November 10.
The Qatar Foundation and the Qatar National Research Fund are supporting two presentations to be delivered by Prof. Tadeusz Majda (Poland) and Dr Doug Antczak (USA), who will be joined by speakers from France and the United Kingdom.
Antczak, from Cornell University, will give an overview of the new research project on the genetics of the Arabian horse, while Majda will present the translation of the Count Rzewuski Manuscript into English and Arabic.
Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club Chairman Sheikh Mohamed bin Faleh Al Thani said the club was delighted to be hosting some of the world’s leading authorities in their respective fields.
“To complement the conference we will be inviting delegates to visit some of Qatar’s major stud farms and training centres providing a rare opportunity to see such a high concentration of quality Arabian breeding stock, race and show horses anywhere in the world.”
The ten-day event will incorporate racing at Al Rayyan Racecourse, Doha, where the race programme on November 12 will feature the WAHO Conference Qatar Cup, an 1800m contest for Purebred Arabian maidens, and the inaugural running of the Jay Stream Cup, a memorial race named in tribute to the first WAHO President widely acknowledged as the most influential figure in the development of worldwide agreement on the registration and record keeping of the purebred Arabian horse. Other speakers include: Cynthia Culbertson (USA) – Bedouin Traditions and their relevance today, Dr Martine Hausberger (France) -How our perception of horse behaviour affects their welfare, Elizabeth J. Launders (UK) – The rider or trainer’s influence, negative and positive, on horse performance, Dr Jean-Louis Leclerc (France) – Improving the welfare of the endurance horses in training and competition, Dr Clemence Lesimple (France) – Improving horses’ health and welfare through adapted management practices, Roland Owers, World Horse Welfare (UK) – Horse Welfare: A Global View.
WAHO celebrates its 44th anniversary this year. It has held a conference every second year since 1970. It has 65 member and applying member nations, with an additional 19 countries whose Arabians are registered by neighbouring countries.
The 2013 conference in Brazil was cancelled, but 2011 host, the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club, stepped in to host WAHO again in 2014.
Full details of the event can be found on a dedicated website at www.wahoqatar2014.com. The Peninsula
