Hundreds of riders of all ages turned up on Sunday for the Bahrain population stables committee’s seventh trip called Alshabab. They met up at A’Amer Makabees stables at 5am and went en masse to a sandy desert area on the west side of the island located in Boori called Alrubaa AlKharrab.

 

It was wonderful to see them dressed in their cowboy attire and their horses were simply stunning just to look at; to then see them in action was purely breathtaking.

After resting their horses the games commenced, on horseback of course. These mainly Western-style games are certainly not for the faint-hearted as horses come hurtling round barrels, and go from flat out gallop to a complete standstill.

 

The atmosphere was fantastic, everyone was so friendly and welcoming. All riders are proud of their horses and have practiced their skills for many months prior to the ‘trip’.

After the games lunch was served in a traditional Bahraini way where everyone sits together and enjoys food and drink. It was a lovely day; where you see the real ‘old school Bahrain’, the incredible hospitality of the local equestrian community, their camaraderie coupled with their enjoyment and love of horses.

 

The organisers – Abbas Saeed, S Hussain and Hameed Jebel – did a wonderful job. We are looking forward to the eighth annual trip and this time we will be riding and taking part, so get those cowboy hats out and next year come along – it’s a truly fantastic experience.