The most beautiful and best Arabian racehorses in the world come from Al Shaqab Stud in Qatar. In terms of breeding and sporting success, the stud has already set international standards in the first two decades of its existence.
Al Shaqab Stud in Education City in the west of Doha's centre has declared as its mission to lead the world in breeding and marketing Arabian horses. Indeed, the finest and best Arabian show and race horses come from its stables.
Besides its purebred residents, Al Shaqab Stud also impresses with its modern architecture and its indoor riding arena, which is shaped like a gigantic horseshoe.
Qatar has been known for its noble Arabian horses for centuries, long before natural gas and oil played a role. Back then, the horse was an important part of daily life in the Arabian desert.
Al Shaqab Stud was founded in 1992 by the then ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and two years later became part of the Qatar Foundation.
The stud farm was named in memory of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, who led Qatar to independence in the Battle of Shaqab against the Turks. Today, the 980,000-square-metre stud farm stands on the former site of the battle.
Breeding, Sport, Show and Recreation at Al Shaqab Stud Farm
The stables hold up to 400 animals, which then as now are bred for beauty, good nature and strength to be a faithful companion to their owner in all circumstances. The three breeding lines followed at al Shaqab Stud are the bloodline of the international Arabian horses, the pure Egyptian Arabian horses and the pure Qatari Arabian horses, all three represented by the best stallions in the world.
The stud not only serves to breed the noble animals, but also to train the horses for shows and races and of course also houses an exquisite riding school. Al Shaqab's racing stable owns over 100 fantastic racehorses, which also compete extremely successfully in Great Britain and France.
Currently, several reigning world champions are in the luxurious stables, including the winning stallions Al Adeed Al Shaqab, Gazal Al Shaqab and Marwan Al Shaqab. The international appearance of Al Shaqab's purebred Arabian horses is to be extended to the United States in the next few years.
From the clubhouse of the Equestrian Club, of course only complete with swimming pool, gymnasium and restaurant, you have a fantastic overview of the entire stud.
Tip: A visit to the Al Shaqab Stud is by appointment only and is limited to groups of five.
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