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.