HH PRINCE FAISAL AL SHALAN DISCIPLINE, HARD WORK & TAWFEEQ By Nada H. Abdelmoniem

COUNTRY: DATE OF BIRTH: JULY 14 1987 PROFESSION: SHOW JUMPING RIDER, TEAM MEMBER OF SAUDI EQUESTRIAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT SAUDI ELECTRONIC COMPANY & C.F.O AT SANA CAPITAL GROUP

ONE OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED AND ELOQUENT TEAM MEMBERS OF SAUDI EQUESTRIAN IS HH PRINCE FAISAL AL SHALAN. GROWING UP WITH THE PRESSURES OF HIS EARLIEST RIDING EXPERIENCES, HE CAME TO WHOLLY EMBRACE AND EXCEL IN THE SPORT OF SHOW JUMPING, WINNING MAJOR INTERNATIONAL TITLES AS WELL AS QUALIFICATIONS TO REPRESENT THE KINGDOM IN TWO . A BUSINESSMAN AND A PRINCE, HE IS CONTEMPORARY AND OUTSPOKEN IN HIS OWN STYLE, YET DISPLAYS NOTHING BUT HUMILITY AND DIGNIFIED CONDUCT IN ALL OF HIS DEALINGS. HT SPOKE WITH HIM ABOUT HIS EARLY DAYS, HIS WINS, HIS HORSES, AND HIS ADVICE. HERE IS WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.

6 With Talan at the stables

7 Many of us know the story of your were loving yet tough on me. They - 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: 13th first show jumping mount as a trained me as a junior and helped me as a team and 58th as an individual youngster, the white English pony get introduced to good trainers as a on Wido. Snowdrop. Was that when you child. caught the ‘horse bug’? - 2007 , Cairo: team What were some of your early gold medal and 6th as an individual I’ve had previous pony club successes in the jumping arena? on Torax. experiences, but the first show Which early wins do you treasure jumping horse I had was Snowdrop most? - 2006 World Equestrian Games, and she’s the mare that won with Aachen: 70th as an individual on me, so yes. Once you start winning I remember winning my first Uthago. I was the youngest rider to you don’t want to stop, I guess I’m a ever compete at the event. international Children’s World competitive person. Championships in Abu Dhabi in - 2006 World Cup Arab League 1999; that was an eye opener for me In your formative riding years, Standings: 2nd place and helped the as a 12-year-old and for many in the who would you credit most for Saudi Equestrian team qualify for the your development and passion for Saudi Federation. Another special 2008 Beijing Olympics. riding? year was 2005 when I won two gold medals in the Islamic - 2005 Islamic Games, Mecca: 2 I grew up in very loving and and boosted Saudi Arabia’s medal individual gold medals. passionate family. My dad and uncle count to first place in all sports. Other are identical twins, so I grew up wins I treasure include: - 2005 National Champion of Saudi with two fathers that are the most Arabia important and influential people in my - 2011 Pan Arab Games, Doha: team life. I’ve learned everything from them gold medal and individual bronze in On to the Olympics, we take this and am still learning every day. They on Aphrodite van het Texelhof. opportunity to warmly congratulate

8 the Saudi Equestrian team on 80s and 90s.They’ve worked hard mission was to preserve and develop its show jumping team bronze for decades and have sacrificed equestrianism and the celebration of medal win in London 2012. What a lot of time and money. The thing the horse. We tried to find a way to a stunning achievement! How did that we as Saudi riders have lacked reach our goals as riders and at the it feel to watch your team mates though was a serious budget to buy same time give back to our society. compete even though you had top horses and more professional It’s our duty in the Saudi Equestrian qualified to compete with them? infrastructure to take us to elite levels Fund to sponsor equestrian activities of competitiveness. To be great in for their nobility. Not only in the I was very proud of my team; seeing show jumping was possible for many narrow sense of their history and them reach this level of horsemanship Saudi and Arab riders, but the ability heritage, but rather in the cultural and and riding was truly historic. And I to be the best and go to the next level behavioural aspects that surround the was very happy with the support that was lacking, and the Saudi Equestrian sport, and celebration of the horse. It we got from the Arab world; we are Fund was the missing piece of the instils chivalry, honour, valour, and very proud to be able to inspire the puzzle. That’s why to many people it virtue. youth and show them that hard work felt as you said – that they have come a long way in a very short time - but in At the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup and dedication pay off. reality it’s a lifetime of hard work and Jumping in Wellington, Florida dedication for all riders. in early March 2013, the United HT has just published its hard- States team won the $75,000 cover Olympic Edition, which Following an agreement reached prize in grand style. The team was features the Saudi Equestrian last year, the FEI Nations Cup has prepared and energised and gave team winning the show jumping come under the sponsorship of its all. You must have felt proud to team medal. Some claim that Saudi the Saudi Equestrian Fund and represent Furusiyya at this event. riders have come a long way in a has been renamed ‘Furusiyya FEI How was the atmosphere there? very short time; how would you Nations Cup’. This is a big step for comment to that? the Fund. Can you please tell us It is a very humbling experience to how that came about? see the most influential people from It’s good that people think that. The the equestrian world and American truth is that we always had top riders Since the inception of the Saudi business world so grateful for what who have started riding since the Equestrian Fund, the essence of its we (the Saudi Equestrian Fund)

3rd place with Talan during the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in Wellington, USA

9 At the second leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in Wellington, USA

are giving back to the sport. It says schedule this year and in the run- In addition to being a professional a lot about our character as Saudi up to the World Equestrian Games rider you are a professional people, and emphasises the depth in 2014. What competitions do you businessman. How do you juggle of our relationship with horses. The have coming up? all of this? connection between man and horse is universal, and we are fortunate that On my calendar now I have the 3 and The key to success in life is the horse is so noble and allows us to 5 stars CSIs of Riyadh, then after discipline, hard work, tawfeeq share its strength and passion. The we have Rome, Aachen, Gijon and (Arabic for luck from God), and being sport is a melting pot, and a vehicle Barcelona. In between these shows very organised. If you’re organised to shape those global and diverse I’m going to be competing at other ideas. This interaction creates the shows as well. this shouldn’t be a problem. ideal promotion of cultural diversity and world peace. How do you prepare mentally and With all of your experience and physically for an important show successes, what words of advice We really enjoy watching videos of jumping competition? would you give young riders? your competitive rides, for example in the recent Winter Equestrian Physically, I work out five times a The biggest gift that I can give to Festival series, and in particular week, three times boxing and twice our young riders is to tell them to watching your mount Talan. Of weight lifting. Mentally, I try to be your current and past horses, who never give up on your dreams professional about it and think of it is/was your favourite? and passions. I want you to thrive as a small task each class by itself. on challenge, to reach success. My all time favourites are Nonplus Trying to concentrate is the most We face challenges as human Ultra and Rathwan, both have taken challenging part to me, not the beings and riders every day, and pressure. I do like the pressure as it me to the 160 level in 2005/2006, and what separates the good from the makes me feel sharp. had won and placed in Grand Prixs less fortunate is your attitude and in The Arab League and Europe fighting spirit. Chase perfection and Beyond show jumping, are there such as: CSIO5* Lucerne, CSI3* get excellence! Lummen, CSI3* Munich and many any other horse sports that you more. Talan is a super horse but he’s enjoy, such as polo or dressage? a very complex one. Once you have Follow HH Prince Faisal on everything working for you then he’s I like polo. It’s the closest thing, which I twitter: @FaisalSAlshalan unbeatable, and I love him because can imagine, to my ancestors’ battles of that. He really does make you think on horses. Although dressage is an See HT’s LIVE interview all the time. imperative part of show jumping, I’m with HH Prince Faisal on: not its biggest fan. But I definitely take https://www.youtube.com/ It looks like you have a pretty busy flat work very seriously. watch?v=V0uJxSWGmiY

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