Shaikh Nasser Gifts 33 Horses to Bahrain’s Private Stables

Distribution Supports Endurance Season Preparation

Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa has ordered 33 horses to be distributed as gifts to private stables in Bahrain, a move designed to support their preparations ahead of the 2026-27 endurance horseracing season.

Shaikh Nasser, who serves as His Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian works and youth affairs, chairs the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, and holds the honourary presidency of the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef), directed the initiative as part of a broader push to widen participation and sharpen competition across endurance events.

The gesture is intended to ease pressure on private stables, which face significant costs around preparation, qualification and equipment when fielding horses for endurance competition. By supplying qualified horses directly, the initiative aims to improve stables’ technical readiness and their prospects of strong results across the coming season’s fixtures.

Stable Owners Respond

The move reflects Shaikh Nasser’s long-standing view that private stables are essential partners in sustaining endurance riding in Bahrain, given the expertise they have built up over years of training and developing Bahraini riders. Organisers expect the additional horses to have a direct effect on the standard of domestic competition, while also strengthening the country’s representation at Gulf, regional and international endurance events.

A Generous Gesture, Widely Welcomed

Private stable owners who received horses under the initiative described it as a generous gesture, and said it reinforced Shaikh Nasser’s broader strategy of building up endurance sport and raising standards among both riders and stables. They added that the support would help drive further achievements for the kingdom across the sport at every level.