Horse Racing in Oman

The pounding hooves hitting the sand in a fierce attempt to finish first excites the crowd and even more so for the horse owners. The stadium is open, a beautiful breeze flowing through, while sitting in the plush velveteen stadium seats only royalty could fathom. Such a grand presence and an exciting event in the hidden gem of Oman. Sitting in the second row, and probably making the people behind me cringe every time I stood to get the best view of the finish line and in hope to snap the best picture, I was like a kid again clapping for victory as the horses raced passed me.

There are some fabulous horses here while horse racing is growing in Oman. Horses from the USA, France, and the GCC area are competing for notoriety and to land in the winner’s circle. Betting is illegal in Oman, but you can still enjoy the races and have a guess at your favorite winning combination.

Location:

The event I attended was located about 20 minutes West of Seeb, but before Barka. It was in a large open area that looked like a farm, with lots of sand and palm trees. I followed some other vehicles in and hoped I was headed the right directions. Farther back in the farm was the grand stadium with a modern entrance, security, and a great grandstand with shade. My friend and I was lead to the second row, next to lots of Omani men dressed in crisp white Dish dashes and some were wearing the traditional sash on their waste. The seats were plush red velvet and very comfortable.

The horses are lead in front of the grandstand for a look from the crowd, the jockey is walking near them, they mount up, and off they go to the starting post. The races are fast paced, about 10 minutes in between each one of them (12 total this day), with 2 special races at the end for the Oman National Day. It’s also good timing in the fall when the weather is cooling off, with a start time around 4PM. They also have a great program listing each race with horses,which is written in Arabic and English.

Following the race, beautiful ladies in Omani costumes rode horses out to the track and flags representing the countries the horses were from. Then, a demonstration of the horse riding entertainment called pegging  was performed. This was my first time seeing this. You can get more information from the Royal Stables about dates and show times. This is a must-see event in Oman!

It was a great afternoon and a wonderful and exciting event.

Yala! See you at the races!