The Emirati Voice: Leadership, Mentorship And Pride

A Foundation Built In Two Disciplines

Nine years at the microphone have built something no start list or scoreboard can fully capture. As one of the UAE's most recognised equestrian announcers and presenters, active at UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation and FEI showjumping events, Maryam Ibrahim has shaped the atmosphere of some of the region's most prestigious competitions – not merely through the quality of her commentary, but through the relationships cultivated before the microphone is ever switched on. For the 2027 edition of the Dubai World Cup souvenir, marking the 31st anniversary of the world's richest race night, Ten Furlongs is proud to include Ibrahim among the five women whose leadership is shaping the future of racing and equestrianism worldwide.

The path into the commentary box was not accidental. A media graduate with 16 years of experience spanning television, events and presenting, Ibrahim arrived at equestrian commentating with a foundation that most arena announcers simply do not have. Riding since 2000, competing in endurance, attending races and even representing the UAE in cycling at national level, the groundwork was laid long before taking the microphone. When the first showjumping assignment came, the rules, the rhythms and the relationships that give the sport its character were already familiar. "I know how to prepare, how to write, how to announce, how to use my voice, how to use my words with the audience," the Emirati announcer says. That combination of media discipline and equestrian literacy is rare, and it has defined every event Ibrahim has announced since.

Mentorship Through The Microphone

What distinguishes Ibrahim from many of her peers is an understanding that the commentary box is not a stage for the commentator: it is a service to the sport. Preparation begins 24 to 48 hours before each event – writing scripts, studying start lists published by the FEI, noting which riders are returning from injury, which young competitors are stepping up in class, and which combinations carry histories worth telling. "Background is everything," she says. "If you have a really good background, you will know how to deliver it."

That preparation extends to the riders themselves. A commentator who tracks careers rather than results, Ibrahim makes a point of knowing each competitor's journey. Competitors have grown up in front of the microphone over nine years, young teenagers who first appeared in children's classes and are now contesting Grand Prix events. When they re-enter the arena after injury or a difficult season, the commentary adjusts accordingly. "When they get injured, I ask about them.

When they are back, I know that this one is not doing well today, maybe because he injured himself." Riders have confirmed that hearing their name and biography announced before they enter brings families at home into the moment. "My mom was listening, my wife was here, my children were here. I like when you give me a bio, I like when you cheer me," Ibrahim recalls competitors saying.

This attentiveness has made the UAE announcer a mentor by example rather than by title. Working now with a new generation of young Emirati women entering sports broadcasting, the counsel Ibrahim offers is consistent: do not imitate, do not translate literally and, above all, do not abandon your cultural voice. "Be careful of your culture, be proud of your culture," she tells them. "Speak your local language, because you feel the ground more than anyone else. Your roots are coming from here." One young commentator, Sarah, admitted to studying Ibrahim's style and trying to replicate it. The response was characteristic: affirm the ambition, redirect it toward authenticity. "You cannot copy Maryam, and Maryam cannot copy Sarah. Every year, be updated, take in more competitions, listen to what commentators say."

An Ambassador On International Stages

The UAE's position as a bridge between east and west is not a phrase Ibrahim uses lightly. The record speaks for itself. Commentary assignments have taken the Emirati announcer to the CHI in Qatar, to the FEI Nations Cup qualifier for Paris, and to the Special Olympics when the UAE hosted the Games. In Kuwait, a return was scheduled this year before the regional situation forced cancellations. Each assignment outside the UAE carries a particular weight Ibrahim is explicit about. "When they look at you, when they point at you, they don't say Maryam, they say the Emirati commentator. You are the ambassador for your country." That experience sharpened the announcer's sense of what the UAE's equestrian infrastructure has built over decades. "All the experience and skills I have were made here in the UAE. So I will deliver them outside."

This sense of national representation runs through Ibrahim's professional philosophy. The UAE, in the announcer's view, is a genuinely connected hub for global show jumping – a destination where Arab riders qualify for the FEI Nations Cup through the Arabic League, and where riders from Brazil, Japan, Thailand and the United States compete side by side. Bilingual commentary, offered in both Arabic and English at many events, ensures every section of the crowd feels addressed. "When I speak Arabic, the whole arena is speaking my language. They are focusing with me more." When sharing the microphone with English-language colleagues, the role is never translation but a parallel narrative carrying different emotional weight for different audiences. "I want to be part of every rider's story. I want them to remember my voice when they look at their medals."

The professional inspiration Ibrahim names is Nicholas Brooks-Ward, an official FEI announcer and one of the most experienced showjumping voices in the world, who has regularly worked alongside the Emirati commentator at UAE events including the President's Cup and five-star competitions in the country. "He does the job of commentating, not announcing. He is very well organised, very professional, and working with him is a real pleasure." That standard of craft informs Ibrahim's wider ambition for Emirati voices in the sport. "I want the Emirati commentators to get more support, so that we become the main commentator at each international competition." Saudi Arabia, she notes, places its local commentator as the lead voice at every major event it hosts – a model the UAE could adopt without sacrificing the international quality its events are known for.

An Inclusive, Emotionally Intelligent Sporting Environment

There is a moment Ibrahim returns to when describing what this work really means. In 2018, the UAE national showjumping team qualified for the Nations Cup. The Emirati commentator was at the microphone. When the final fence was cleared, the emotion could not be held back – tears into the microphone, live, in front of the arena. Nadia, one of the UAE team's riders, sought Ibrahim out afterwards and said she had noticed. "I couldn't speak when the UAE team entered the arena for the prize-giving," Ibrahim recalls. "I welcomed them with everything I had."

That emotional transparency is not weakness in the announcer's view. It is the currency of connection. Birthdays become small ceremonies – a rider's name called, music played as they enter, a moment created that means, in Ibrahim's words, that rider will never forget the UAE. Champions, the veteran commentator points out, are often more nervous than amateurs because sponsors are watching and national teams are expecting results. A calm, prepared voice at the microphone helps them settle. "A lot of riders, when they enter the class, they are nervous. When I talk, they come down." Riders have come back after rounds saying Ibrahim's encouragement directly influenced their result.

Recognition came formally at the Emirates Cup, when Major General Dr Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, President of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation, approached the commentator personally. Ibrahim recalls: "He shook my hand and told me, Maryam, I am very, very proud of you. You really add value to the event. When the head of the Federation knows you by name, comes to you, shakes your hand and says I am proud of you, that word means the world." At the Special Olympics, the approach adapted entirely – language kept simple, responses warm – because every rider was listening closely to every word. "When I left the arena that day, I was not the same." It is a small story about a large idea: that success in equestrian sport is measured not only in results, but in whether everyone who enters an arena feels recognised, supported and welcomed. Maryam Ibrahim has spent nine years proving that a voice, used with preparation, warmth and pride, can do exactly that.