Second tournament of Saluki Championship season staged in Seeh Al Dahel

The second tournament of the Saluki Championship season was staged over the weekend in the Seeh Al Dahel area of Dubai, where around 200 Salukis and Arabian greyhounds lined up on the start line.

The event, which was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, and organized and supervised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC), saw one race for the general public and another for the Sheikhs over a two-and-a-half kilometre distance.

Sheikh Almur bin Maktoum Al Maktoum attended the event and watched the action intently from the sidelines along with His Excellency Abdullah Hamdan bin Dalmouk, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC), and Soaud Ibrahim Darwish, the HHC’s Director of Championships.

Czech student Tana Terberova was also present among the onlookers. She rides horses for His Highness Sheikh Hamdan and talk of the Saluki Championship down at the stables had pricked her interest in witnessing the event for herself.

“They told me about the dog racing here and I wanted to see it,” Terberova explained. “I like what I’ve seen of it up until now and – even though I admittedly know a little bit about this specific breed of dog – I want to learn much more, hence the reason why I’m here.

“These races for dogs remind me of the horse racing scene back in the Czech Republic. It needs even more exposure to let the general public know that it’s happening here and that – in turn – will make this event better.”

Dr Mohammed Al Busaidi, who oversaw the proceedings in his capacity as a tournament supervisor, added: “This is what we call the open race and we have a mixture of dogs here. There are females and males, Salukis, greyhounds, three-quarter dogs – everybody is free to join in.

“You never quite know how exactly the race is going to pan out, so it is a combination of a good dog and good luck as well.

“I’ve been here since day one and the dogs owners have even more of an understanding now. They are more disciplined and patient and that is really good to see.”