UAE’s Abdulla Al Marri competes during the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China. File

Amir Naqvi, Sports Editor

Some people are born to be something others will never be. That much is true of Sheikha Fatima Bint Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy and owner of Al Shira’aa Stables.

Love for horses and equestrian sports has been imprinted in her genes.

Daughter of Sheikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikha Fatima inherited this passion from her father and grandfather, the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who were both riders and horse breeders.

She learned the nuances at an age when she was too small to reach the horse. Later, she established herself as an accomplished rider while carving a niche in the equestrian field.

Fast forward: the Abu Dhabi Royal’s passion led her to establish Al Shira’aa Stables almost 12 years ago.

Her dedication to equestrian pursuits and breeding has undoubtedly contributed to the growth and success of the stables, which have footprints across the globe.

Besides stables in the UAE, Al Shira’aa boasts several farms in the UK, Germany, Ireland, and Spain that serve as bases for the breeding programme, show jumping horses, racehorses, and Arabian showing horses.

Sowing the seeds of Al Shira’aa Stables success, she also pledged unwavering support to elevate the UAE’s riders and its show jumping team’s presence on the global stage, along with overall development.

Her efforts have undoubtedly contributed to the team’s achievements and recognition on an international level.

Sheikha Fatima’s efforts bore fruit when the show jumping team’s three-medal haul—two individuals and one team—was part of a historic Asian Games for the UAE.

They won bronze in the team event. Omar Al Marzouqi took silver, and Abdulla Al Marri secured bronze, marking the first time in history that the UAE has won three equestrian medals at the competition.

Both Marzouqi and Marri rode the horses Dalida VD Zuuthoeve and James VDO Heihoef, respectively, which are owned by Al Shira’aa.

Following the historic ride at the Asian Games, the UAE team turned their focus on the Paris Olympics 2024.

They are currently training in Surrey, UK, under the watchful eye of William Funnel, the new Chef d’Equipe for the UAE team.

The Al Shira’aa team is overseeing the development, purchasing of new Olympic horses, and training costs of UAE riders with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court & Chairman of Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.

The UAE show jumping team secured the ticket for Paris by finishing second at the Nations Cup Olympic qualifier held in Doha in February 2023.

Paris will mark the first time the nation will have a full team competing at the Games, making this one for the history books.

Abdulla Al Marri, Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Omar Al Marzooqi, and Mohamed Ghanem Al Hajri are those who are part of the team.

Despite playing an instrumental role in the UAE team’s success, Sheikha Fatima credited H.H Sheikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his continuous support of the Al Shira’aa-owned horses and her uncle H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, for his continuous support and belief in this equestrian discipline for our country.

Speaking to Gulf Today, Samantha Kettle, Assistant Team Manager, said: “Twelve years ago, Sheikha Fatima started the programme of Al Al Shira’aa Stables with juniors and young riders, especially supporting Emiratis. She took a huge step for the show jumping sport in the UAE, which made a lot of difference in getting this country where it is today.

“Her unstinting commitment to the sport and her dedication to empowering young talent have left an indelible mark on the equestrian landscape, shaping the future of show jumping in the UAE and beyond.

“The UAE team members have been based with trainer Funnell in Surrey and are training hard for the Olympics.

“They will then be back in the UAE for the winter season to get used to their new Olympic rides and slowly build up towards the games. The aim is to compete in a few Nations Cup shows so they get used to the team ethos and feeling,” she added.

She also lavished praise on the team’s youngest rider, Omar Al Marzouqi, whose journey in show jumping is truly remarkable.

“His impressive achievements at such a young age speak volumes about his talent and determination, plus he is such a pleasure to work with, which makes my job very easy!”

At the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Marzouqi (15) made history by becoming the first Emirati to ever win a medal at the Youth Olympic Games, securing a silver medal in the individual show jumping event.

Despite being the youngest competitor in the Buenos Aires field, he managed to become the first Emirati to ever stand on the podium at a Youth Olympic Games.