The victors of the Omani stage of the Global Champions Arabians Tour will be announced on Easter Monday evening in Muscat. While we’ll see the current ranking leaders back in the show arena fighting once again for championship titles, to rule out a surprising turn of events – for both audiences on site and online – would be folly.
Thus far in individual classes during the Champions Arabians Tour Muscat, the grand panel of 20 judges saw a total of 97 horses from 7 countries – less than half as many as in Abu Dhabi a month ago, where the number of horses exceeded 200. But the organisers and sponsors of the GATC series seem to thrive on breaking records on a daily basis. The total prize fund in Oman? Over one million euros. Has there ever in the history of Omani purebred horse shows been a larger amount? No. And the organisers never cease to amaze and surprise their guests, breeders, owners, and fans alike, with creativity, pizzazz, and attention to the smallest detail. Even the show ground itself is majestic, taking place in the lush gardens of the luxurious Al Bustan Palace, one of the few Ritz-Carlton hotels on the Arabian Peninsula, located right off the beach overlooking the Gulf of Oman.
Just as during the two previous stages, the organisers do their level best to highlight the culture and traditions of hosting countries. We already had the pleasure to experience Qatari and Emirati culture and traditions. Now we’re in the thriving capital city of Oman, and very soon we’ll pay a visit to Saudi Arabia, as the final Arab leg of the Tour is to take place in Riyadh. Even the Al Bustan is a noteworthy architectural masterpiece, being built for the late Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said who organised here one of the Gulf Cooperation Council Summits. The hotel is topped with a 38-meter-high dome adorned with a crystal chandelier hanging 18 metres down that weighs 5.5 tons. The gardens surrounding the luxury resort are no less impressive with over 500 date and coconut palms planted mere metres away from the sea.
Between classes, guests are invited to discover what Omani culture is all about: national cuisine, traditional music, and unique handicraft. There’s an on-site chamber orchestra with musicians playing such instruments as the qanun or the oud – string instruments resembling the zither and the lute respectively. Guests can also marvel at the craftsmanship of artisans specialising in traditional basketry, pottery, carpet weaving and calligraphy. We can expect similar attractions in Europe, when Global Champions Arabians Tour reaches the Netherlands, Italy and France.
And the horses? The championships start at 2:30 p.m. CET, or 1:30 p.m. UK time. All the best horses that we saw over the weekend will once again graciously appear before the judges. If you look closely, you’ll spot our friends from Poland: Anna Stefaniuk and Tomasz Tarczyński.
