WAHO Conference News

WAHO ABU DHABI 2025 CONFERENCE INVITATION

Please use the link below to see the Conference invitation and provisional information
WAHO Abu Dhabi Conference Invitation

2022 WAHO Conference – Jordan

The 2022 WAHO Jordan Conference held in October in Amman, Jordan, was a very successful event and greatly enjoyed by all participants.

Our heartfelt thanks are extended to our hosts at the Royal Jordanian Equestrian Federation , who definitely went the extra mile to ensure everyone had a wonderful time from the moment they arrived until their day of departure.  Apart from the business side of the Conference, comprising the WAHO World Registrars Meeting and the WAHO General Assembly with excellent Guest Speakers, there was a wealth of other activities to enjoy, from social events, horse parades and stud farm visits to a variety of tourism opportunities.

To read the full WAHO Conference Report from our 2023 Newsletter, which is available as a PDF, please click here: WAHO News Jordan Conf22 web

To read the Conference Report by Monika Savier, which is available as a PDF, please click here: WAHO 2022 Conference Jordan

To read the report on the Royal Stables and Peter Upton’s talk written by Monika Savier, please click here The Royal Stables and Peter Upton

To read the report from Sharon Meyers please click here https://arabianhorseworld.com/2022-waho-report/

A separate excellent article by Sharon Meyers can be found here https://issuu.com/arabian-horse-times/docs/v8n1_winter_issue_2023_digital/160

To read reports from Gudrun Waiditschka please click the links:

AP 4-22 WAHO-Conference

Part 1 AP 4-22 State Studs – Relevance by GWaiditschka

Part 2 by Gudrun Waiditschka  AP 1-23 State Studs – Relevance II by GWaiditschka

Part 3 by Gudrun Waiditschka  AP 1-23 State Studs – Relevance III by Deirdre Hyde

We are all now looking forward to the 2025 WAHO Conference, to be held in the U.A.E..  Further details on dates and venue to follow.

______________________________________________________

 

2022 WAHO CONFERENCE – JORDAN

The 2022 WAHO Jordan Conference, hosted by the Royal Jordanian Equestrian Federation, under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II, was a great success.  The friendly hospitality and warmth of our hosts made the whole event very special.  The WAHO World Registrars Meeting was both interesting and productive, and the WAHO General Assembly included some very interesting talks from a variety of Guest Speakers.  Conference participants also had the chance to tour some of Jordan’s famous historical sites.

The highlights for many of us were the chance to see the rescued animals at the Al Ma’wa sanctuary for wildlife, and the  wonderful visit to the Royal Jordanian State Stud.  A full report will be published here soon, and there will also be reports in various magazines both online and in print.  We sincerely thank our hosts and all those whose hard work and team effort made the 2022 WAHO Jordan Conference such a memorable and enjoyable event.

photos courtesy of Sharon Meyers

 

 

 

 

 

 

_

__________________________________________________________________________

We are very pleased to inform you that the brochures and registration forms for the forthcoming WAHO General Assembly in Amman, Jordan in October have now been sent out by airmail to all our Members. In the meanwhile, we are pleased to provide links here to the .pdfs of the main brochure WAHO Conference Brochure Jordan 2022, which includes the daily Conference Programme, and the Tours Brochure Pre and Post Tour Brochure 2022 Registration forms may be be requested from either the WAHO Office at thewahooffice@gmail.com  or from the WAHO Conference Office in Amman on waho.jo22@gmail.com, which will also be able to assist you if you require any further information.  The dedicated Conference website, with all the same information, is now live, please visit www.wahojo.com  We are all looking forward to meeting again in Amman in October.   If you would like to join us but are not already a WAHO member, WAHO Individual Associate Membership application forms can be requested from the WAHO Office.

_______________________________________________________________

For the provisional schedule for the 2022 WAHO Conference in Jordan, please click the link WAHO Conference Jordan 2022

PRESS RELEASE

The WAHO Conference in Jordan, which unfortunately had to be postponed from October 2021, is now being planned for October 2022.  The likely dates for the whole event will be from 8th to 13th October, followed by post-conference tours.  The WAHO World Registrars Meeting will be on 10th October, and the General Assembly on 11th and 12th October.  Initial information will be sent to all WAHO Members in January 2022, and also published here on our website.  If you are not yet a WAHO member, and would be interested in joining us for what promises to be a very special event, please contact the WAHO Office for more details.

PRESS RELEASE FROM WAHO

 Date:  14 October 2020

 To:             All WAHO Members

Subject:    WAHO JORDAN 2021 CONFERENCE POSTPONED

Following recent discussions between WAHO and our generous hosts at the Royal Jordanian Equestrian Federation, and after much deliberation, the decision has been made to postpone the 2021 WAHO Jordan Conference.  This is obviously due to the uncertainties regarding the course the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic will take over the coming months.

At present, due to the very strict lockdown in Jordan, it is simply not possible for our hosts to finalize their plans.  This means we cannot prepare the conference brochures, registration forms and so on, which we would normally be doing now, one year in advance of a WAHO Conference.  If we did go ahead with the October 2021 dates as planned, and then have to cancel, it would cause far more disruption for our hosts and our members than to announce a postponement now.  As you can imagine, this decision was not taken lightly.

The current plan is to rearrange suitable dates for the WAHO Jordan Conference to be held either in Spring 2022, perhaps late March or early April, or if necessary to postpone for a full year to early October 2022.  As we do not yet know how long it will take for an effective vaccine to be universally available, and when the many and various international travel restrictions to and from all our Member countries will be lifted, it is clearly not sensible to select and announce new dates until the situation is a bit more clear.  It is hoped that by early next year it will be possible to decide on this.  We will of course keep you informed.

We hope this message finds you safe and well in these difficult times.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at the WAHO Office if you have any queries.

Katrina Murray

Executive Secretary, WAHO

2019 WAHO AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE

The 2019 WAHO Australia Conference held in February in Terrigal, New South Wales, was a very successful event and much enjoyed by all participants.

Heartfelt thanks are extended to our hosts at the Arabian Horse Society of Australia, who definitely went the extra mile to ensure everyone had a wonderful time from the moment they arrived until their day of departure.  Apart from the business side of the Conference, comprising the WAHO World Registrars Meeting and the WAHO General Assembly with excellent Guest Speakers, there was a wealth of other activities to enjoy, from social events, horse parades and stud farm visits to a variety of tourism opportunities.

To read the full WAHO Conference Report from our Summer 2019 Newsletter, which is available as a PDF, please click here: WAHO 2019 AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE REPORT

To read the Conference Report by Sharon Meyers, which is available as a PDF, please click here:

Sharon M 2019 WAHO Conference

To read the Report about the Post Conference Queensland Tour by Sharon Meyers, which is available as a PDF, please click here:SM WAHO Qld Tour

To read the Conference Report by Gudrun Waiditschka published by Arabian Horse World magazine, please click here:  https://issuu.com/arabianhorseworld/docs/060719-waho-conference?fr=sZWY0ODkyNjU

Excellent Conference Reports were also published in The Arabian Magazine. http://thearabianmagazine.com

We are all now looking forward to the 2021 WAHO Conference, to be held in Jordan.  Further details on dates and venue to follow.

____________________________________________________________________________

East Coast Championships & Australian Arabian Ambassadors Parade, 2nd February 2019

As part of the Pre-Conference activities and offered tours, an extra highlight was the Australian Arabian Ambassadors Parade held during the East Coast Championships Show, which showcased a wide variety of horses with high quality ridden classes, halter classes and dressage.  This specially arranged presentation featured previous WAHO Trophy winners and major champions from Australia and was a wonderful way to welcome the early arrivals from the WAHO community.  A dynamic range of horses were proudly presented, covering not only Arabians but also the many different derivative breeds that they have in Australia, as well as the many different disciplines – from halter to ridden to racing to trail to western to working stock horse and so on.  It really was a great celebration of Australian horses, and it ended with the presentation of the 2019 WAHO Trophy to Mulawa Kara Mia MI (Fame Maker R x On Angels Wings), bred and owned by Mulawa Arabians.  A .pdf of the catalogue for the Parade with details of all the horses can be viewed here  Arabian Ambassadors Presentation

—————————————————————————————————————————-

Message from Julie Fiedler, Guest Speaker at the 2019 WAHO Australia Conference

Dear WAHO,

Thank you so much for the opportunity to present at the recent WAHO Conference in New South Wales, Australia on the subject ‘When Social Media Gallops Ahead’. The presentation is available for download from https://www.horsesa.asn.au/social-licence-to-operate, along with those from the event below.
After the WAHO Conference, a national professional development event was held in Hahndorf, South Australia. At this event an interview with the facilitator Professor Emeritus David Mellor was undertaken by Horses and People Magazine. Titled ‘A paradigm shift from care to welfare’, which ties together the two concepts of social licence and welfare. The interview can be downloaded here: https://horsesandpeople.com.au/a-paradigm-shift-from-care-to-welfare/
Posters, some of which were shown in the presentation at the WAHO Congress, are now online. A set have also been translated by World Horse Welfare into Chinese. As there is a Creative Commons licence on these resources, this is one way they can be adapted to suit different countries and audiences. The posters can be downloaded here: https://www.horsesa.asn.au/welfare-well-being.
Thank you again and I look forward to staying in touch with WAHO networks.

Julie Fiedler
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

WAHO 2019 AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE

The WAHO Australia 2019 Conference which concluded recently in Terrigal, NSW, was agreed to have been a great success by all who attended. Heartfelt thanks are extended to our hosts at the Arabian Horse Society of Australia who definitely went the extra mile to ensure everyone had a wonderful time from the moment they arrived until their day of departure. Apart from the business side of the Conference, comprising the WAHO World Registrars Meeting and the WAHO General Assembly with excellent Guest Speakers, there was a wealth of other activities to enjoy, from social events, horse parades and stud farm visits to a variety of tourism opportunities. A full report follows here soon.

A selection of images from the 2019 WAHO Conference can be seen at this website, courtesy of Karsten Scherling from Al Tair Stud, Germany: https://pix.al-tair-stud.de/sets/2019-waho-australia/

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

WAHO 2019 AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE
PLANNED TALKS AND GUEST SPEAKERS

DURING THE OPENING CEREMONY ON WEDNESDAY 6TH FEBRUARY 2019:

There will be an illustrated talk presented by a group of speakers from the The Arabian Horse Society of Australia, including Coralie Gordon, David Gillett & Allan Preston, entitled: “From the Desert to the Lands Down Under – a brief canter through two centuries of Arabian horse breeding in Australia & New Zealand”.

KEYNOTE GUEST SPEAKERS ON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8th:
(The scheduled time for each talk will be announced at the start of the Conference)

• Guest Speaker: Professor Chris Whitton from the University of Melbourne, Australia: “Causes and Prevention of Injuries in Race & Endurance Horses”.
  (Note: May be divided into two separate talks)
• Guest Speaker: Dr. Madeleine Campbell from The Royal Veterinary College, UK: “Welfare and Ethics in Horse Breeding and Horse Sports”.
  (Note: This will be a recorded talk presented on video)
• Guest Speaker: Cindy Reich from California Polytechnic University, USA: “It All Begins With A Foal: Practical new techniques in foaling practices and foal care, from birth to weaning”
• Guest Speaker: Julie Fiedler from the University of Central Queensland, Australia: “When Social Media Gallops Ahead – Sport Horse Welfare and Social Licence to Operate”.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
PRESS RELEASE
WAHO 2019 Conference Australia | Registration Now Open

A World of Wonder Down Under Awaits…

WAHO 2019 Conference Australia
04-08 February | WAHO Conference – Terrigal NSW
01-04 February | Pre-Conference Tours – Sydney NSW
09-17 February | Post-Conference Tours – Hunter Valley, Victoria, Queensland & New Zealand

It gives us immense pleasure to welcome the WAHO family back to Australia for the WAHO 2019 Conference. The entire Arabian community in Australasia is eagerly anticipating this global gathering. The Arabian Horse Society of Australia has partnered with our neighbour across the Tasman Sea, the New Zealand Arabian Horse Society, to create an extraordinary 18-day programme to combine the business of the main WAHO General Assembly with the pleasure of several stud tours and horse presentations, varied sightseeing, camaraderie and entertainment. We feel sure you will find this edition of the bi-annual WAHO family get-together to be both memorable and enlightening.

We invite you to take the time to browse the Conference website, where you will find a wealth of information, with more details on the activities planned & all of the places we will be visiting.

We are confident that you will find your visit to Australasia the ideal opportunity to enjoy the holiday of a lifetime in the company of like-minded people with a shared passion for the Arabian horse. Plan to spend your February with us, take advantage of the amazing experiences we have arranged during the WAHO 2019 Conference, and discover all that Australia & New Zealand have to offer. We can promise you a generous dose of authentic Aussie hospitality, spectacular scenery and amazing wildlife, as well as an inspiring collection of the immensely talented home-bred Arabians & Arabian derivatives of which we are incredibly proud. Taking part in a WAHO Conference is a unique chance to appreciate the extraordinary bond formed by these horses, the essential connection that brings us all together from distant shores and different cultures, in friendship and in celebration of the Arabian horse.

Registration Materials & Extensive Information Available Online
www.WAHO2019Australia.com
Keep up to date with Conference news on facebook!

For all enquiries, or to request a Conference Brochure and Registration forms by airmail, please feel free to contact either the WAHO Office at waho@btconnect.com or the Conference Office at info@WAHO2019Australia.com

To download the WAHO 2019 Conference Registration form, please click here!
To download the WAHO 2019 Conference Brochure, please click here!

WAHO 2019 CONFERENCE AUSTRALIA
PO BOX 415, RICHMOND NSW 2753, AUSTRALIA
Office Telephone: +61 2 4577 5366 | OFFICE HOURS 8:30AM — 4:00PM AEST (LOCAL TIME) MONDAY TO FRIDAY
HELEN DOHAN | Mobile: +61 418 484 592 | AHSA REGISTRAR & EVENT CO-COORDINATOR
TERESA EDWARDS | AHSA ASSISTANT REGISTRAR & EVENT CO-COORDINATOR
SCOTT BENJAMIN | Mobile: +61 466 627 744 | EVENT CO-COORDINATOR

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Please click on the picture, to get the latest WAHO Conference 2019 information leaflet, including the program for the Conference as well as preliminary information on the pre- and post-conference tours.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

THE WAHO CONFERENCE AUSTRALIA 2019

Invitation to the 2019 WAHO Conference in Australia:

Debra Watson from the Arabian Horse Society of Australia made the following announcement at the WAHO Bahrain Conference:

“On behalf of the Arabian Horse Society of Australia, I would like to thank the Executive Committee of WAHO for accepting the offer made by Australia to host the 2019 WAHO Conference and extend to you all an invitation to visit our beautiful and unique country. The last WAHO Conference to be held in the Southern Hemisphere was in 2000, and we hope that you will all realize that it is not really that long a trip these days.

The Conference will run from the 2nd to the 8th February 2019 and will follow one of the country’s largest shows, the East Coast Arabian Championships which is to be held the weekend prior. Both events will be in the Sydney area. The show takes place about 30 minutes from the airport and the Conference will take place about an hour north of Sydney at the holiday destination of Terrigal which is one of the beautiful Australian beach side resorts.
We hope to offer you a unique experience of Australiana, blended with beautiful Arabian horses. Visits are already planned to the world class Arabian Studs such as Simeon and Mulawa, as well as a wildlife park, the Hunter Valley for their wineries, and of course the beautiful city of Sydney. Post-Conference tours will include New Zealand, only a short flight away, which is home to some spectacular scenery as well as an enthusiastic nucleus of Arabian breeders. This short video will give you a brief insight into some of the destinations available when you visit Australia, together with our lovely Arabian horses. I invite you all to Sydney, Australia, in two years and look forward to welcoming you down under.”

The promotional video can be seen at this link (click)

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

THE WAHO CONFERENCE BAHRAIN 2017

Several excellent reports on the 2017 WAHO Bahrian Conference and many photos are now available to view. The reports are in PDF format and are all very detailed and very well illustrated.
You are kindly invited to visit this page to read more: WAHO Conference Bahrain 2017

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

THE WAHO CONFERENCE BAHRAIN 2017

Dear WAHO Members and Prospective Members,

Plans are now well under way for the 2017 WAHO Conference, generously hosted under the patronage of HH Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa and the Royal Arabian Studs of Bahrain.

The detailed WAHO Conference Bahrain 2017 brochures are now en route by airmail to our current WAHO Members. The package includes the Conference Programme, the Pearls of Bahrain Tours brochure, the Pre & Post-Conference Tours (Dilmun Days) brochure and of course a set of registration forms.

We are also very pleased to invite you to visit the new Conference website at: www.wahobahrain2017.com. Here you can browse through the information relating to the tours and you can also download the registration forms. We are not offering online registration at this time. We will welcome your registrations whether you prefer to send them to us by airmail, fax or scanned as email attachments.

We would also like to take this opportunity to extend a warm invitation to those of you who are not yet WAHO members to come and join us in the Kingdom of Bahrain in February 2017. Please contact the WAHO office for further information on how to become a WAHO member. WAHO membership will give you the right to take part in this unique and important event on the international Arabian horse community’s calendar. We can promise you not only several interesting talks by acclaimed speakers on a variety of topics, as well as private visits to unique Arabian breeding farms, but also the chance to reunite with old friends and make new ones from all over the world. All those who attend have one special common interest: The Arabian Horse.

Please click the link below to read this beautifully illustrated Arabian Horse World article by Denise Hearst with photos by April Visel, about the Arabian horses of Bahrain as our generous hosts prepare for the 2017 WAHO Conference: Arabian Horse World – Bahrain

We look forward to welcoming many Conference participants to the Kingdom of Bahrain. For further information or assistance, please feel free to contact:
Mr. Subin Abubaker, WAHO Conference Coordinator Bahrain 2017, at email: wahobahrain2017@gmail.com

We can also provide information and assistance from the WAHO Office, please contact: Katrina Murray, WAHO Executive Secretary, at email: waho@btconnect.com or Joanne Minter, WAHO Administrative Assistant, at email: thewahooffice@gmail.com

2017 WAHO CONFERENCE, MANAMA, KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN
6-15 February 2017
Venue: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Seef District, Manama
WAHO General Assembly: 9-11 February
WAHO World Registrar’s Meeting: 8 February
Pearls of Bahrain Days: 12 – 15 February
With optional Pre Conference Tours on 6 – 8 February
and optional Post Conference Tours on 14-15 February

Almost 20 years since the last time the WAHO ‘family had the pleasure of meeting in Bahrain in 1998, you are cordially invited to attend the next WAHO Conference. The detailed Conference brochures and registration forms are automatically sent to all WAHO members, but WAHO is always delighted to welcome new members at our Conferences.

09:00 – 20:00 hConference Registration Desk open at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel

Monday 6th February
09:00 – 20:00 h	Conference Registration Desk open at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel
	Choice of local Pre-Conference tours available for registered participants
Tuesday 7th February
	Choice of local Pre-Conference tours available for registered participants
09:00 – 18:00 h	WAHO Executive Committee meeting.
Wednesday 8th February
09:00 – 18:00 h	Conference Registration Desk open at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel
	Choice of local Pre-Conference tours available for registered participants
09:00 – 17:30 h	WAHO Executive Committee Meeting.
09:00 – 17:30 h	WAHO World Registrars Meeting, full day with lunch
19:30 – 22:30 h	Welcome reception and Dinner hosted by The Royal Arabian Studs of Bahrain
Thursday 9th February
09:00 – 17:30 h	WAHO General Assembly starting with Opening CeremonyFull day with lunch
19:30 – 23:00 h	Evening social event and Dinner hosted by Bahrain Royal Equestrian & Endurance Federation
Friday 10th February
09:00 – 13:00 h	WAHO General Assembly with guest speakers (morning only)
14:00 h	Lunch at the Racetrack hosted by Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club
	Race Meeting with the featured WAHO Cup race and Traditional Desert Sports
19:30 – 22:30 h	Dinner at the Memorial Museum hosted by the Court of the Crown Prince
Saturday 11th February
09:00 – 17:30 h	WAHO General Assembly with guest speakersFull day with lunch
19:30 – 23:30 h	Gala Dinner at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel with private horse parade and traditional attractions hosted by The Royal Arabian Studs of Bahrain
Sunday February 12th	Pearls of Bahrain Special Days
Morning	Royal Stud PresentationLunch
Afternoon	Visit to Desert Stable and Endurance Stable of HH Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa
Monday February 13th	Pearls of Bahrain Special Days
Morning	HRH Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Khalifa Stud Presentation with lunch
Afternoon	Presentation of horses at Al Rashediah Stud with dinner
Tuesday February 14th
Morning	Choice of local post conference tours for registered participants
Afternoon & Evening	Bahrain National Championship Show, at the Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club
Wednesday February 15th
Morning	Choice of local post conference tours for registered participants
Afternoon & Evening	Bahrain National Championship Show, at the Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
NEWS FROM THE 2014 WAHO QATAR CONFERENCE

The 2014 WAHO Conference in Qatar was well attended and much enjoyed by all the participants. We extends our grateful thanks to the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club for hosting this important event for the second time in succession, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani, Special Adviser to HH The Emir. A more detailed illustrated report can be found here, together with extracts from the many fascinating talks we had from our very interesting panel of Guest Speakers. To summarise the main items of WAHO business during the WAHO Executive Committee meetings, WAHO World Registrars Meeting and the WAHO General Assembly, in brief these were as follows:

WAHO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHANGES:

During the WAHO Executive Committee meetings, following the retirement of Dr. Hans-J. Nagel, Mr. Peter Pond was elected as President. Dr. Hans Nagel was granted the honorary title of President Emeritus. Mr. Sami Suleiman Al Nohait was elected to the position of Vice-President. Lady Georgina Pelham was elected to full Executive Committee membership. Mr. Xavier Guibert was also named as WAHO’s Stud Book and Registration Consultant. In addition, two new Consultants were elected, and as such we are delighted to welcome HRH Princess Alia Al Hussein Al Saleh and Mr. Sami Jassim Al Boenain to the WAHO Executive Committee.

WAHO WORLD REGISTRARS MEETING:

This significant meeting over one and a half days, chaired by Mr. Xavier Guibert, was very busy and productive. The first afternoon was devoted to matters relating to the new European Union directives which directly affect studbooks and registries. The second day was mainly taken up with complex discussions on a number of proposed WAHO registration rule changes and updates. The contribution of those present was extremely important in ensuring that any such changes to our internationally accepted rules are appropriate and suitable for all WAHO Member registries to follow. The recommendations made by the Registrars Meeting were passed directly to the Executive Committee for their further discussion and decisions, and then presented to the floor of the General Assembly for vote of the members.

WAHO CONFERENCE REPORT IN BRIEF:

The WAHO Qatar Conference 2014 started with the Welcome Reception and Dinner, hosted by the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club in the beautiful grounds of the Museum of Islamic Art. A wonderful display by grey and bay Arabians richly caparisoned in traditional saddlery charmed the guests.

The following morning, in front of an audience of invited VIP guests and many press representatives, as well as all the delegates and observers, the WAHO Conference was opened by HE Sheikh Mohammed Bin Faleh Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club. A beautiful short film called “Heartbeat of Qatar”, about the host country’s Arabian horses, was shown to much acclaim.

This was followed by a ceremony to mark the retirement of Dr. Hans-J. Nagel, during which a specially commissioned watercolour painting of his famous mare Hanan, by the well known artist Peter Upton, was presented to Hans on behalf of the WAHO Executive Committee and WAHO Membership. A film and photo compilation prepared by Dr. Monika Savier was shown as part of the tribute to Dr. Nagel’s great contribution not only to WAHO, but to the Arabian horse worldwide.

Peter Pond’s opening speech highlighted several of WAHO’s main achievements over the past 40 years and emphasised the strong bond and high level of cooperation between all WAHO’s member countries. A minute’s silence was held in memory of those WAHO members who have passed away since the last Conference. Two new countries, Ecuador and Serbia, were warmly welcomed to full Registering Authority Membership, with their horses accepted into the WAHO Definition, having completed all necessary requirements and published their first WAHO approved studbook. We were then treated to a most illuminating and thought-provoking talk by our first Guest Speaker, Cynthia Culbertson, who took as her subject “Bedouin Traditions and their Relevance Today”. The rest of the first day of the General Assembly was taken up with the always interesting reports from the Members’ Delegates.

The day concluded with a visit to the magnificent Al Rayyan Racecourse, where the QREC hosted a most entertaining evening of racing, with dinner. It was particularly appreciated that two special races, the WAHO Cup and the Jay Stream Cup in memory of WAHO’s first President, were run in honour of the Conference.

On the second morning, and after giving his report on the Organization’s annual accounts, the WAHO Treasurer David Angold announced that all WAHO membership fees had been increased slightly, the first such increase for many years. Mr. Xavier Guibert also made his report on the WAHO World Registrars’ Meetings. Our guest speaker from Poland, Professor Tadeusz Majda, then gave a most interesting and richly illustrated talk on the Count Rzewuski Manuscript and its translation into English & Arabic sponsored by the Qatar Foundation. Professor Majda also later gave a short but equally well illustrated talk on the Arabian Horse in Polish Painting. We were also very fortunate to have Professor Douglas F. Antczak, from Cornell University in USA, who gave his overview of the new research project on the genetics of the Arabian horse, sponsored by the Qatar National Research Fund.

The afternoon was given over to one of the highlights of the week. Al Shaqab Stud, Member of the Qatar Foundation, generously hosted a dinner which was preceded by a parade of some of their most promising young horses, many of them the product of several generations of Al Shaqab breeding. Their famous grey stallion Al Adeed Al Shaqab, now 20 years old, was also shown to the appreciative audience.

On Friday, after going through and voting on the updates and changes to the WAHO registration rules, this last day of the WAHO Conference was mainly given over to our Guest Speakers, with the main general overall theme being equine welfare. During the morning session, Dr. Jean-Louis Leclerc from France spoke with feeling on the topic of “Improving the welfare of endurance horses in training and competition”.

In the afternoon, two complementary talks were given by Dr. Martine Hausberger and her colleague Dr. Clémence Lesimple, from the University of Rennes in France, on “How our perception of horse behaviour affects their welfare” and “Improving horses’ health & welfare through adapted management practices” respectively. This was followed by two speakers from the United Kingdom. Mrs. Elizabeth Launder spoke about the rider or trainer’s influence, negative and positive, on horse performance. Mr. Roland Owers, C.E.O. of World Horse Welfare, gave a very well balanced and inspiring talk on “Horse Welfare: A Global View”.

It was announced that the next WAHO Conference 2017 will be hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The final event of the main WAHO Conference days was the magnificent Gala Dinner, hosted by the Racing and Equestrian Club at the Four Seasons Hotel. With speeches and gift presentations, and a delicious meal, everyone agreed it was the perfect ending to a particularly positive and friendly event. We look forward to welcoming you all to Bahrain in 2017.

THE PRIDE OF QATAR DAYS: The WAHO Conference was followed by 4 special days filled to the brim with activities, generously hosted by some of Qatar’s best known stud farms. You can find a full illustrated report here.

WAHO EXTENDS ITS SINCERE THANKS TO ALL THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE, WHOSE GREAT EFFORTS, HARD WORK, EXCEPTIONAL GENEROSITY AND WARM HOSPITALITY ALL COMBINED TO MAKE THE 2014 WAHO QATAR CONFERENCE SUCH A RESOUNDING SUCCESS.

WAHO 2014 QATAR CONFERENCE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE AND TEAM

From the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club:
HE Sheikh Mohammed Bin Faleh Al Thani, Chairman
Mr. Sami Jassim Al Boenain, General Manager
Mr. Tariq Al Siddiqi, Assistant General Manager, Head of Racing Section
Mr. Abdul Aziz Al Boenain, Head of Horse Registry and Show Section,
Mr. Abdul Aziz Al Subaie, Show Section
Eng. Ahmed Mamdouh
Mrs. Hannie Maasdijk, Conference Co-Coordinator
Mrs. Elise Yue, Assistant Conference Co-Coordinator
Miss Cherelle Maasdijk, Conference Assistant
Mr. Nabeel Shekhani, IT and Accounts Support

From CIMGlobal, The Netherlands:
Mr. Rob Eskes, Mr. Bas Van Der Velde, Mr. Nicholas Tissot Van Patot, Mrs. Patricia Bannier

And all the support staff from QREC and all the hostesses.

HOSTS & ORGANIZERS OF SOCIAL EVENTS & OF VISITS TO STUD FARMS.

Al Shaqab Stud, Member of Qatar Foundation.
Mr. Fahad Saad Al Qahtani, Director
Mr. Mohamed M. Al-Sulaiti, Manager, Breeding & Show Dept.
Mr. Majid Al Kaabi, Assistant Manager Breeding & Show Dept.

Umm Qarn Farm.
HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani
Brigadier Abdullah Mohammed Al Yafaee, General Manager
Mr. Alban de Mieulle, Manager/Trainer

Al Shahania Stud.
HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani
Mr. Abdulrahman Al Mansour, Director
Miss Alexandra Newman, Manager
Mr. Dean Lavy, Assitant Manager
Mr. Julian Smart, Race Trainer

Al Nasser Stud.
HE Sheikh Nawaf Bin Nasser Al Thani
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Nawaf Al Thani
Mr. Hendrik Mens, Manager

Sheikh Faisal Bin Qasim Al Thani Museum & Al Samariyah Stud.
HE Sheikh Faisal Bin Qasim Bin Faisal Al Thani
HE Sheikh Turki Bin Faisal Bin Qasim Al Thani, Al Samariyah Stud
Mrs. Pegi Jones, General Manager, Ms. Sian Jones, Show Manager & Ms. Megan Jones, Riding School Manager, Al Samariyah Stud

Qatar Camel Racing Federation & Al Gharafa Stud:
HE Sheikh Hamad Bin Qasim Bin Faisal Al Thani, Chairman, Camel Racing Organizing Committee

Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation & Al Maha Stud
Dr. Abdi Arif, Manager Al Wabra Wild Life Sanctuary
Mr. Ahmed Abdelhak, Manager Al Maha Stud

Camel Race Training Farm of HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, The Emir of the State of Qatar.
Mr. Ahmed Al Khalfan, Manager

We also thank all the veterinarians, staff, handlers and grooms at all the farms for their involvement and assistance.

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES:

Mr. Hisham Al Jammal, Zoom Art and Design
Mrs. Nevena Tabakova, Gulf Adventures Tourism LLC
Mr. Ziad Chemaitelli, Al Sanabel Transportation Company
Mr. Rene Nijhof, Mr. Ziad Mallah, & Mr. Mohamed Amine Arfaoui, The Ritz Carlton Hotel