RIYADH, 28 May 2004 — With his good looks and smile, Prince Faisal ibn Saud Al Shallan, at 16, has already achieved a lot and is arguably the brightest in the galaxy of young Saudi star riders.
"We are genetically predisposed to riding horses," said Prince Faisal's father, Prince Saud ibn Fawaz in an interview to Arab News.
He was referring to the deep-rooted family tradition with horses that dates back 1,200 years at a time when their ancestors owned three of five original bloodlines of Arabian horses.
"All of our lives are written in horses. It's a way of life, a philosophy," said Prince Saud.
That's why it is no wonder that Prince Faisal had his first mount at age five, having been inspired by his father and uncle, Prince Naif, to take up equestrian.
The prince entered his first competition in a local show jumping event in 1995, and has never looked back since. A member of the Kingdom First Team along with Prince Abdullah ibn Miteb, Fahad Al Joaid and Yousif Saleh, Prince Faisal trains daily for five hours.
"I try to do my best always. I particularly pay close attention to my horse when preparing for a big event. Of course, you don't win them all since luck also plays an important role" he said.
Prince Faisal, who attends the prestigious Najd School where he studies French, English and Arabic, trophies and other accolades compete for space in a special room. His most cherished prize obviously is the FEI (World Equestrian Federation) world junior championship he won in Abu Dhabi in 1999.
His international show exposure includes Grand Prix events in Qatar and Syria where he travels with his favorite horse Cheakha. Abu Dhabi and Bahrain are also among his Arab schedule and he goes to France during the summer season.
The father and son agreed the Olympics and World Cup remain the ultimate goal, but for now it has to be put in the back burner until Prince Faisal becomes eligible to compete when he turns 18.
But who knows, four to eight years down the road Prince Faisal might do a Khaled Al-Eid, who gave the country its Olympic medal when he won the bronze in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, Prince Saud, who maintains a stable of 300 to 400 race horses in Jordan, said they are "trying to create Arabian Warm Blood breed of sport horses with its own stud book." "Hopefully five years from now we will have a breed labeled Arabian Warm Blood," said Prince Saud, a civil engineer who speaks at least five languages and holds a doctorate degree in strategic studies.
Indeed, with the Al Shallan family a true friend and partner of Saudi equestrian the future of the sport is, well, on the right track.
