Berlin: The Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival returned after four years to the historic Hoppengarten course as Berlin staged the fourth round of this year’s Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship race.

And it was 16-year-old apprentice jockey from Belgium, Loid Bekaert stealing the limelight when he scored an emphatic win in the 2,200-metre race on Le Jason, a four-year-old trained by R. Zoetelief. Bekaert, who received his apprentice license just over a month ago, grabbed the opportunity with both hands as Le Jason scored an easy win over Adash under Kersley Ramsamy of Mauritius, while Bahrain’s Ali Sameer on Arash, finished third.

Seven apprentice riders from around the world took part in the eleven-furlong race with a prize fund of 20,000 euros and Bekaert and his horse La Jason won with a quick time of 2 minutes, 44.93 seconds.

In the process, the Belgian teenager became the fourth jockey to qualify for the Apprentice World Championship final so far of this race series that is being held as part of the festival under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Mother of the UAE and Chairwoman of the General Womens Union, GWU, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, FDF, and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.

Sayed Abdul Rahman Al Shamsi, Chargé d’affairs at the UAE Embassy in Berlin, Saed Al Shehhi, Head of the Political Department, Talab Al Habsi and Hassan Al Shehhi, Assistant Military Attaché, and the Chargé d’affairs respectively were among those present at the prize distribution later.

“The return of the festival to Germany is another success in achieving the desired goals of the interest of the German people who love equestrian sport, especially as the event is held in one of the most prestigious tracks in the world,” Al Shamsi said.

The festival will next move to Lebanon with the staging of the Arabian Horse Beauty Show on July 29-30.