WAHO President hails royal patronage

Manama, Feb. 12(BNA): The General Assembly of the World Arabian Horse Organisation (WAHO) Conference concluded yesterday with the declaration of the closing statement. Held under the patronage of HM the King, the event began on February 5 and witnessed a series of important decisions taken. Following-up and supporting WAHO's General Assembly was HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, son of HRH the Crown Prince, Chairman of the High Organising Committee. 41 countries from across the world participated in the event which was held for the second time in Manama in the history of the Organisation. The General Assembly featured many coordination meetings for the executive committee as well as the Official Registration Offices of WAHO members. During the event, several proposals from the members aimed to preserve the purity of purebred Arabian horses were heard. Pond Announces Closing Statement WAHO President Mr Peter Pond announced the conclusion of the Conference, beginning by extending sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Kingdom of Bahrain for hosting the event. He praised the Royal patronage extended to the Conference by HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, asserting that this contributed to the success of the event. He also valued the follow-up of HRH the Crown Prince and thanked him for inaugurating the Conference, confirming the enormous role of HRH in the field of purebred Arabian horses. "We are proud to have this edition of the WAHO Conference being hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain, and this wouldn't have been possible without the support and the follow-up of HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa," Mr Pond said. He further added: "We conclude the General Assembly meetings today after spending spectacular time in the Kingdom of Bahrain, where we enjoyed its excellent hospitality". He highlighted the main decisions taken during the Conference, including accepting the membership requests of China and Cuba, as well as studying other proposals submitted by other countries. "Our organisation appreciates all efforts made towards maintaining our achievements. I would also like to underline the significance of unifying all the efforts so we can all move on the same path, in line with WAHO's regulations and laws," he said. Royal Studs' Horses Show On the sideline of the WAHO Conference, a show of the Royal Studs' horses was held in the presence of HH Shaikh Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa, President the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (BREEF). The event was also attended by the participating delegations and WAHO President. HH Shaikh Faisal re-welcomed the attendees to their second home, Bahrain, wishing them a pleasant stay in the Kingdom. He further extended to them the greetings of HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa. The event featured exhibits from many purebred Arabian horses from the Royal Studs, where their history and achievements also showcased. Bahrain's Tradition The High Organising Committee organised a ceremony show of purebred Arabian horses at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, in honour of the members of the 41 participating countries of the Conference. During the event, Mr Pond addressed the gathering, praising the Kingdom of Bahrain's efforts in embracing the event, valuing the Royal patronage by HM the King to the WAHO Conference. Angold's Resignation Accepted Meanwhile, Mr Pond announced the acceptance of Briton, Mr David Angold's resignation from the post of Treasurer of WAHO. He will be replaced by fellow countrywoman Mrs Caroline Sussex. Mr Angold stepped down after serving the Organisation for 16 years, where he contributed in laying the foundation of WAHO. Increase of Production From his side, Qatari Sami Al Buaineen, a member of the executive committee of WAHO, announced that the main decisions taken during the Conference aimed at increasing the annual production of purebred Arabian horses globally, which as the official records suggest, is around 40,000 horses annually. "We are hoping now to see a jump in the production, after countries such as China joined the Organisation. The introduction of state-of-the-art Registration Offices for strains and the installation of modern technologies will certainly secure the high purity of purebred Arabian horses. Australia to Host WAHO 2019. During the event, it was announced that Australia would host the WAHO Conference in 2019.