This will be another short story about my trip to see Arabian horse shows in Qatar. However, I would rather avoid discussing the horses, their scores and pedigrees, or the officials. Instead, I would love to take you on a trip with me and tell you about the atmosphere at the show, which is considered by many – on many levels – to be one of the best in the world, as well as touch upon GCAT, the city where it all takes place – Doha, and a bit about the country itself – Qatar.

After a week-long stay in Doha, watching closely the first show, that is Katara Arabian Peninsula Horse Show, busily processing hundreds of photos and creating my first short story, I was about to finish packing, basically almost ready to leave for Poland. Then out of the blue, I was asked if I might want to stay for the second part of the Festival, the much larger show, the upcoming Qatari leg of Global Champions Arabians Tour… Of course I wanted to!!!

Tour of the studs

A short break between the two shows was filled with an Arabian horse auction, followed by two days off, during which preparations for the next parts of the festival were underway. The first of the free days was when the trip to the open days of the studs took place. Usually they are simply impossible to visit so, together with Ewa Imielska-Hebda, we started our tour from the oldest stud in Qatar – Al Rayyan Farm, where its hospitable manager Grzegorz Gajewicz from Poland who has been working there for the past two years welcomed us.

After the arrival of all guests, the presentation of horses owned by this well-known stud began. Stallions were the first to be shown. And what a demonstration of strength and charisma that was! Despite the warm and very sunny day, the milky-grey stallions were bursting with testosterone. Then it was time for the mares and foals. This was no less exciting, although in a totally different way. The foals, which are not yet used to the presence of the public, sometimes rebelled, and the presenters leading them looked almost as if they were carrying them onto the showground and back to the stables to make room for the next horses to come out.

After the horse show, all guests were invited to enjoy some food and drinks. Tables were set up on the lawn, and all of us could debate about what we had just seen and experienced. We also met another Pole working at the stud, the friendly Patrycja Pakuła who serves as a vet there. After the visit to Al Rayyan, some of the guests returned to their hotels, because the next stud to which we were invited is already located far outside the city – in the desert. It was not easy to get there, but somehow we managed. Al Hamama is a relatively new stud, but can already boast significant successes, such as at this year’s KIAHF show. Here we were surprised by the collective prayer, which took place not in a dedicated tent, but in the audience in front of the showground. Some of the participants took part in the prayers, while the rest of us waited patiently for the presentation, enjoying the treats and drinks served, as well as the smell of agarwood, which in the Arabian Peninsula is called oud. Once the presentation began, what caught our attention was… the stud’s owner Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Saoud Al Thani was standing at the fence, waiting for each of the horses, patting them and treating them each to a tasty carrot. Now isn’t that sweet?

The third we visited was Al Waab Farm, located as far as 80 km from Doha, which does not often open its doors to visitors. That probably explains the crowds visiting. Attractions began as soon as we entered the lush green (!) areas of the estate, as right in front of the hood of the car ran a herd of… zebras! A bit further on, an antelope was grazing calmly… On the farm, there are pavilions with wild animals, but the harmless ones walk freely all over the multi-hectare green pastures. What to us seems most familiar are the aforementioned pastures, but to keep them green is actually a huge challenge concerning the weather in Qatar. After all, this is a country where deserts reign; no grass grows here, no meadows or forests. Just sand, rocks, and some more hot sand. Feed for animals, including horses, has to be imported, so imagine what an immense, really enormous undertaking it is to maintain a green farm with a huge number of animals.

The horses on display were delightful, especially since the owners of Al Waab do not exhibit horses at any events, nor do they show them anywhere outside their property. And they have some of the best Straight Egyptian Arabians. It was truly a feast for the eyes. When it was over, as we wanted to quietly leave the estate, we were stopped by kind gentlemen who declared it was not possible… Since the nights in the desert are cold and we were all already frozen, we were invited to a warm meal. And we were treated like royalty! It was a leisurely but very, really very busy and eventful day.

Return to Doha

The Katara auction was held at the showground. To my disappointment, most of the lots were embryos (some of which were destined for charity) and semen – you can’t really take photos of either of these, and only a few horses were shown. Faced with such a dilemma, we stayed at the auction only for a short while, and then we went to the old souq, a historic marketplace, to enjoy the colours, aromas, and atmosphere of the oriental city. Charming narrow streets full of tiny stores selling spices, pottery, ceramics, textiles, food, handicrafts and hundreds of products unheard of in our country, whose purpose we could only guess. It was a wonderful trip and another colourful, eventful day.

On the eve of the main show of the GCAT series, it turned out that we had a lot of work ahead of us – we had to organise all the photos we had taken earlier, describe our impressions so that nothing would be missed or forgotten, and prepare for the next event.

As I have already mentioned, my guide to Qatar and to the shows themselves was Ewa Imielska-Hebda, a well-known Polish Arabian horse photographer. As a person who, not for the first time, participated in shows in these parts of the world, familiar with the customs of such events, she was a constant source of knowledge for me, and I very much hope that I did not torment her with dozens of questions, also for advice. Ewa forewarned me that GCAT would be “more” of everything I could imagine. That it would be bigger, louder, more colourful, that there would be more crowned heads, princes and royal families, more magnificent horses, more glitter, and cameras, the incessant sound of shutters snapping pictures…

Indeed she was right!!! There were more tables, more people labelled “Media”, more people in the stands, and, well, more horses. The show began with a ceremonial performance by the representative orchestra of the Qatari police. Once again, it caused goose bumps all over my body. The orchestra mid-performance presented a rather complicated marching choreography – the more impressed the audience was with their ceremonial dance. This time it was not the last time I saw the orchestra during the event. They would show up and play fanfares before each announcement of the class winner. The show included not only Straight Egyptian horses, but all the best Arabian horses from around the world. Polish-bred horses were present too, four of them to be precise: Monserat, Echo Anastasia, Eragon Zalia and Equator. Unfortunately, due to the large number of horses entered in the show, Polish Arabians did not qualify for the championships. This is because the regulations stated that if more than 180 horses were entered, only the first three from each class would go further to the championships, and our horses, without exception, were among the top, but outside the first three of their categories.

The last day of the show was reserved for the championships and medals, and a lot of excitement. Starting with the youngest, subtle fillies and ending with the proud senior stallions, we could watch the most beautiful, most desirable horses in the world. Hunting for the perfect photo was an incredibly difficult task. This was true for the official photographers – who were in the ring during the show though only during the decoration of the horses – as well as for the rest of the photographers. Later, backstage, over dinner, we talked a bit about it, complaining together about the mass of people with cell phones who would come very close to the horses, making it impossible to take pictures with cameras. However, it wasn’t bothersome enough to wipe the smiles off the faces of media representatives of all sorts, especially since it was time for the festive conclusion of GCAT Doha.

Let there be light

The light show was extraordinary, the sky lit up with hundreds of tiny lights covering on drones, fireworks and the sound of the drums of the aforementioned orchestra. At the showground, during a short break, in almost total darkness, a stage was built in the bling of an eye. The orchestra performed on this stage, and there was a dance show, which could perhaps be described as modern dervishes. This combination of sounds, lights, colours, and dance was truly breath-taking and made my body produce an unprecedented amount of endorphins. I stood and watched it entirely captivated, watching something so amazing for the first time in my life.

The show ended with the appearance of the GCAT logo above our heads. Hellishly tired, but indescribably happy, I returned to the hotel. To Poland. Back home. The shows in Doha will surely continue to energise me for a long time to come, because even now, as I’m writing this story, I can feel myself smiling.

And so the first two shows are behind us. Next stop: Oman!

In January 2025, I had the immense pleasure of participating in the Katara Arabian Peninsula Horse Show in Doha. I owe this trip to the courtesy of the editorial team of Polskie Araby and the organisers of this amazing Qatari show. The entire setting and the ambience, the exquisite horses, the falcons – beyond a shadow of doubt an unforgettable event.

From the very beginning, the event was extraordinary – before it started, really. At the airport in Doha, a driver was waiting for us. What surprised me was that he had my name and surname written down and spelled flawlessly, and believe me, this doesn’t happen often (even in Poland). It’s quite a long and complicated sequence of relatively random characters (especially for those who don’t speak any Polish).

My companions and I headed towards the men who were greeting us. They took our luggage and led us to the cars that then took us to the hotel. On the way, we were impressed by the cleanliness of the city – no garbage on the streets, nor any graffiti on the walls… Beautiful, clean architecture, which in its form beautifully combines Arabic tradition with cosmopolitan modernity.

Let’s see the horses

The next morning at breakfast, one could sense joyful anticipation. Who else would show up? Would we meet old friends? Cordial hellos, smiles, hugs, the “mandatory” coffee (the first of many on this eventful trip)… We waited for the party to begin.

We were driven to the show in elegant cars, and there were more good friends waiting for us at the arena. What surprised me a little was the cordiality with which the media veterans welcomed me, a relative newcomer. I immediately felt as if I had always belonged to that group of chosen ones who showed up with cameras at horse shows, never feeling out of place wherever life took me.

After the hellos in the lobby, it was time for the official opening. Before the horses appeared in the ring, a military band marched in at an even pace. The gentlemen played with such dedication and so beautifully that the people present got shivers down their spines from excitement. I know I did. After playing two songs from their repertoire and the Qatari anthem “Peace to the Amir”, it was high time for the heroes of the event, the purebred horses, to finally come out.

The first day was in its entirety about yearling horses – youngsters who are not yet fully familiar with shows, so sometimes their handlers had some minor problems with them. At such moments, it was clear who was friends with the horse they were showing, as well as which horses felt a bit afraid of what was happening around them. It was often nice to watch how the gentlemen – because here, as anywhere else, horse presentation is the domain of men – calmly waited for the “little ones” to calm down so they could get back to work. It was most visible when the music stopped and silence took over. There were several such moments during the day. The sound system was turned off for prayers, but the show itself was not interrupted. The silence was almost absolute, because in Qatar – unlike in Poland – no one runs around the arena trying to get the horses’ attention. The only sounds you could then hear were the horses – their steps, the clatter of hooves, their excited breathing, and how the handlers talked to them.

Suddenly one of the horses got spooked, rammed the rope fence, bolted onto the beach and then onto the wooden pier. There he stopped, and returned with confidence to his handler. The pair were rewarded with cheers and a moment later with applause, as they won their class.

More than just a show – a proper festival

Katara is a lot more than horses trotting around the showground. Next to the impressive facility, built especially for the event, there were pavilions and stands where you could admire the works of artists and traditional artisans, or buy “equine” cosmetics (as in inspired by horses). The most interesting for me were the live painting demonstrations. As someone who likes to pick a pencil or a brush, I admired artists who could work in such an intensity of emotions, noise and light… Painting dominated, but each of the artists present used a different technique, had their unique style, used different creative materials. You could even buy paintings painted on saddles.

The second day was about two- and three-year-olds, or junior horses. On this day, many more guests showed up, and the cheering from the stands became louder. The atmosphere of the show was getting hotter and wilder, despite the strong and chilly wind that accompanied us until the end of the day. Waiters were constantly bringing cold and hot drinks and snacks, making sure that the guests and spectators had all they needed. And believe me – we lacked nothing. The organisation of this huge was top notch.

This day made us realise how beloved grey horses are by the people of the Arabian Peninsula. Other coat colours were not as visible and you could probably count those horses on two hands. In this situation, it was quite easy to become a clairvoyant: “Who will win? The grey one!” And that’s okay, because the old Polish provers tells us: “Who never had a grey horse, never had a good one”.

The next day was all about senior horses and once again there were no surprises in terms of the coat colours of the winning horses. As always, I was most impressed by the senior stallions, boisterous and expressive. You can always count on these guys to do something that will look interesting in photos and later – after translating them onto paper with a pencil – in drawings. I was right!

Attractions aplenty

Championship reigned supreme on day four. However, before the show’s winners were announced, the stands were filled with crowned heads. There were also significantly more guests from outside Qatar.

Another attraction of the day was the opportunity to observe the finals of a falconry competition, which took place in one of the pavilions of the Katara Cultural Village. What surprised me (and probably the other guests, who were watching such a competition for the first time too) were the dynamics of the event. Although these are probably not the best words to describe the course of this event. Especially when compared to the pace and expression of Arabian horse shows, which we are used to.

All that transpired during the falconry show took place at a leisurely pace and in a most dignified fashion, without any loud music obviously. Each of the hooded birds was first presented to the Emir of Qatar, then slowly carried for the jury to see it, and then returned to its place. Sadly, we could not wait until the final results of the competition, because we had to return to the arena with the horses. And the way back also turned out to be a very nice experience. The ride at night through beautifully lit Katara was truly magical.

Prologue

In the championships that always crown shows like Katara Arabian Peninsula Horse Show, we always see the crème de la crème. It was no different in Doha: lots of grey horses, lots of people posing for photos with the prize-winning mares and stallions, a lot of photographers, artists and filmmakers running around in front of them, excited to take the best picture. The results? You can read all about them on Arabian Essence, so it would be pointless to prolong the (perhaps already too long) report. That wasn’t my job anyway. I’m the one who snaps photos and draws and paints.

I wanted to capture as much of the ambience and uniqueness of the show as possible from my very own perspective of a guest observing the event from the stands. It was a truly special time for me and I hope I managed to show at least a bit of the colourfulness and otherness of the Arabian world of purebred horses as compared to what we usually are witnesses to in Europe. I myself will certainly often return to my Qatari memories, both in my thoughts and on paper – with a pencil in hand, drawing the equine superheroes that I saw with my own eyes.