Top falconers in the UAE were honoured in the Sheikhs Category of the inaugural ‘Mohammed bin Rashid Falconry Cup’ on Friday, following four days of intense competition that saw 20 races at Al Ruwayyah desert area in Dubai

Organised by Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC), the falconry championship named after the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai will run until February 15, with formidable participation from local, regional and international falconers. It is one of the most important and largest falconry championships in the region not only for the high number of participants but also for the total prize pool of over Dh23 million. 

Demaithan bin Suwaidan, chairman of the Fazza Championships Committee for Falconry, and Rashid Al Khasouni, HHC director of Championships, crowned the first place winners in the Sheikhs Category, who also qualified for the elite rounds happening on February 14 and 15.

The awarding ceremony was also graced by Rashid Bin Markhan, HHC deputy CEO, and Muhammad Abdullah Bin Dalmook, HHC director of the Institutional Support Department.

Race results

Team Al Naif’s ‘G1’ falcon topped the first 400-metre race with a time of 18.687 seconds, followed closely by F3K’s bird in second place that clocked 18.913, while third place went to  Al Dhafra’s ‘G317’ falcon.

In the Qarmousha Jirnas category, the F3R team snatched first place with ‘G20’ falcon’s time of 18.063.  Al Naif’s ‘M80’ bird came second in 18.262; while F3R’s ‘G90’ bird finished in third spot.

In the next Jeer race, M7 team’s ‘T3’ bird registered 19.445 seconds to finish in first place, followed by Al Yalayis’s ‘T42’ falcon in 19.536 seconds, while F3’s bird came third in 19.564 seconds.

Team F3 excelled in the Jirnas race (falcons over one year old) with ‘Mazyoun’ coming strong in 18.341 seconds, followed closely by M7’s ‘T32’ bird in 18.549 seconds; while another F3 falcon named ‘Madrid’ bird finished in third place (18.549 seconds).

Al Yalayis team achieved first place in a cash round with ‘T14’ falcon finishing in 18.921 seconds. F3’s ‘T57’ came second in 19.160 seconds and Al Naif’s ‘T1’ falcon finished third with a time of 19.228 seconds.

Team Al Dhafra grabbed the first and second places in first cash round (Jirnas) with ‘150’ falcon flying on top in first place in 19.211 seconds, while ‘T155’ came second with a time of  19.235 seconds. F3’s ‘T1’ falcon settled for third place (19.352 seconds.)

Team F3, meanwhile, dominated the second cash run (Jirnas), with ‘T26’ finishing first place with a time of 19.792 seconds, followed closely by ‘T76’ falcon in second place (19.935 seconds) and ‘T66’ in third spot (20.157 seconds.