Horse racing in Egypt

Egypt is one of the first countries interested in horse racing, as it is the country that obtained membership number 2 in the “Jockey Club” organization after England, which is the organization responsible for organizing races, and Egypt has played a vital role in this field since 1890, and it had a great role in attracting The best Arabian horse breeds from the Arabian Peninsula, until it reached this great position in the Arabian horse.

Dr. Ahmed Mabrouk explains in his book “A Journey to Arabia” the importance of the race in Egypt, that during his trip to the Hijaz, Riyadh, Al-Ahsa, Bahrain, Iraq, Beirut and Hama, he noticed that the elite horses are sent to Egypt to race on the Heliopolis racetrack; This is due to the high prices at which they are sold in Egypt, and the horses have a great opportunity to win the race and obtain great prizes that tempt the horse dealer to search and choose the best Arab horses.

At that time, the race consisted of two seasons: a season in Cairo, a season in Sudan, where the management of the race was transferred only to Sudan, and a season in Alexandria during the summer.

Horse racing track in Heliopolis

A horse racing track was established in Heliopolis, and it received great attention and international participation. When the Abdel Aziz Fahmy Metro, which mediated the race track, was established, the track was moved to the outskirts of Heliopolis, in 1961; As an alternative area to the “Mirand Racecourse”, and the conversion of the part that remained of the old track to the Maryland Park, this area now contains a group of stables with 2,140 boxers and horses. These horses are used in the races held in the “Sports Association for Horse Owners” club located in the Heliopolis region. In May 2020, this area was removed to create an alternative area in the New Administrative Capital.

The Maryland Park was built in the half that the Abdel Aziz Fahmy metro passed, where the tram terminus was at Roxy. With the urban expansion of Heliopolis, three tram lines were established, “Abdel Aziz Fahmy, El Nozha, and El Merghany.”

As for the other part that remained of the Heliopolis race track, it is the administration building and the racing booth, and this part joined Granada.

The most luxurious stables and the largest horse races in Egypt

Egypt boasted of building the most luxurious stables and holding the largest races, where many people from different countries of the world attended to participate in those races because of its strength. Many kings attended. Today, races are held in Cairo during the winter at the Sports Association and Gezira Club, and in the summer in Alexandria at Smouha Sports Club, which was an equestrian club only at its inception. Because it is in the center of the city of Alexandria, in the past the area was empty, and the horses used to walk, and until now the stands, the track and the royal cabin are still masterpieces of time.

Founded in 1882 and received the first horse race.. the ancient Al-Jazira Club

Al-Jazira Club had an important role with horse racing, and so far the races are still taking place in Al-Jazira Club.

The Khedive Sports Club (Al-Jazeera) was established in 1882 on the Saray Gardens of Khedive Ismail, where Empress Eugenie hosted in 1869 on the occasion of the opening of the Suez Canal.

The first horse race was held in 1883 on the club’s land, announcing the start of horse racing in Egypt for the first time, similar to the ancient racing clubs in Britain.

On November 4, 1886, the government licensed the Khedive Sports Club to use an area of ​​land totaling 146 acres, 22 carats, and 12 shares.

The wooden racetracks were completed in 1889, and have been receiving horse racing enthusiasts for 60 years, ending at the end of the last runs of the 1948-49 racing season on April 8, 1949; The implementation of the current concrete terraces, which opened at the beginning of the 1949-1950 season, began on November 4, 1949.

These stands are considered one of the finest architectural designs for sports facilities, and were designed by the architect Katarinczyk, a Yugoslavian originally residing in Alexandria, and anti-aircraft guns were used during the First World War to carry the concrete ceiling.

The name of the Khedive Sports Club was changed to Al-Jazira Sports Club in 1914, then its name was changed to the Prince of Upper Egypt Club; Named after King Farouk for about a year or a little more; To return to his old name.

Sporting Club and drafting the laws of horse racing in Egypt

The races were held at the Alexandria Sporting Club, which was officially inaugurated on September 10, 1890. Members of Al-Waleed Club, news of the opening in its issue issued the following day, September 11, 1890.

Racing committees were drafting racing laws and regulations in Egypt, which were largely inspired by the regulations in force in Britain’s horse racing clubs.

Prince Muhammad Ali says in his book “Breeding Purebred Arabian Horses”: Now everywhere you have the opportunity to look at the old system that passes and comes. This is my work when I look at our present world, there are pictures of ancient athletes around me, and I know the legends of their era and the meaning of sport in those days. Lords, great men, and even amateurs owned stables in the old days; In order to protect their country in times of war, the officers later performed the race with honesty and integrity; Because they loved horse racing, it became an honorable men’s sport.

The Royal Agricultural Society (the Egyptian Agricultural Authority) was interested in supporting the race, and the head of the breeding committee was the head of the breeding department, and there were many wealthy and community members in the Jockey Club, and those were the bright days when famous horses, such as Nebras and other famous horses, traversed the field Egyptian racing, the races were strictly controlled by the Jockey Cha Laresours, who were classified into four classes, but is no longer the case today, and was nearly 700 horsepower total entry for the year, while in the past decade it may complete up to To approximately a thousand horses, and the ability to race was a prerequisite in the Egyptian Agricultural Authority’s breeding program, until the early sixties exceeded the demand for the Egyptian horse from all countries of the world, and America was the most interested country in buying horses from the Egyptian Agricultural Authority, and the Egyptian horse became a strong competitor in competitions Camels in America, and there was also an increase in the demand for race horses in Egypt, and the Circassian horse was included in the program of the Zahra station, and the station allowed breeders to flee from it to serve the breeders’ mares.

The Circassian horse is one of the best, most beautiful and most powerful racing horses. And this horse came to the race from Upper Egypt.

Some say that the Ain Shams area was a desert, and the Arabs came from everywhere, and they set up tents during the racing season, and those who sold alfalfa, barley and hay used to go to those tents, and that the Circassian horse was bought from one of the residents of these tents who is a dowry, and he sold For the country, and returned to Cairo again with its new owner when he grew up to participate in the race, and the Circassian horse obtained the race permit from the analogy committee 4 times in all stages of the presentation to the analogy committees, and it was approved in the Arab world by the opinions of all the committees.