São Paulo – Mare Zells Zenyatta won the Arab Chamber Grand Prix, held to celebrate Arab Community Day last Sunday (25) in São Paulo. The Arabian thoroughbred race was organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, with backing from the Brazilian Association of Arabian Horse Breeders (ABCCA) and the São Paulo Jockey Club, where the race took place.
Arab Chamber board members convened to watch the race, which has been held since 2014. Eight Arabian thoroughbreds competed for the price. The winning mare belongs to Almir Ribeiro and Rodrigo Schulze. She was ridden by jockey José Rogério and coached by Alexandre Correa at one of the São Paulo Jockey Club training centers, in the municipality of Campinas.
Zells Kate, another of Almir Ribeiro’s horses, came in second, with Paulo Jamil Saliba’s Passion Rach placing third. Also racing were Cantiga VE, Heron HVP, Marei Rach, Rhondo Rach and Orthodox Rach. The event is part of Brazil’s classical Arabian horse race calendar, which in turn is part of a global schedule.
“Brazil is a major Arabian horse breeding country. Its horses are great when it comes to quality and selection,” former Arab Chamber president Marcelo Sallum told ANBA. It was during his term as president that the race was first held. Sallum explains that the idea came from Jamil Saliba, who wanted to showcase the quality of Brazilian racing horses. Jamil, who passed away three years ago, also served as Arab Chamber president and used to breed horses.
“The Arab Chamber has always strived to promote each and every aspect relating to the Arab world,” said Sallum, noting that the race has become an integral part of celebrations of the Arab Community Day, which fell on a Sunday this year. Incumbent Arab Chamber president Rubens Hannun also pointed out that the race is growing into more and more of a tradition on Arab Community Day. “It’s a point of integration between Brazilians and Arabs,” he said.
Horse breeder Paulo Saliba, of the Fazenda Rach Stud farm, explains that Brazilian-bred Arabian horses are known worldwide. According to him, this is the oldest horse breed in the world, and it has been kept pure. The animals are known for being at once hot-blooded and lightweight. “They’re what’s known as light cavalry,” he says. That is why they’re used for cross-breeding, for increased agility.
ABCCA’s vice president for Racing and Endurance Riding, Almir Ribeiro, stressed the cultural meaning of the race on Arab Community Day, and the history of this particular horse breed. “Any horse breed you can think of, like Mangalarga, English Thoroughbred, etc., they all have some Arabian horse in them. The Arabian horse is the formative horse, the father to all breeds,” says Ribeiro. The breed originated in the Arabian Peninsula.
Arab Chamber board member Ruy Cury remarked, in an interview with ANBA, that March 25th is a day of celebration for the Arab community. “It is important for us to come together on this day,” he said regarding the race. March 25th was picked as Arab Community Day in Brazil after the name of the street that welcomed the shops of the first-ever Arab immigrants to Brazil, back in the early 19th century.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
