WOMEN OF THE FUTURE AWARD NOMINATIONS

22-09-2016

In 2005 the Women of the Future Awards was founded to recognise and celebrate successful young women aged 35 or under from a variety of backgrounds who reside in Great Britain.
It has been announced that thanks to the generous agreement of the Executive Director of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Lara Sawaya, the HH Sheikh Mansoor Racing Festival will for the first time sponsor the Sport category of the Women of the Future Awards. As a result, 2016’s nominees will includes a selection of lady jockeys who have shown talent and overcome significant challenges in their working lives.
“The HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival champions Arabian racing in the UK and our British-based sponsorships form an integral part of our global promotion of the sport and its athletes,” commented Lara Sawaya. “Our extensive programme of races aims to support the development of young jockeys of all abilities and gender. The HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship provides new challenges to both male and female Apprentice riders which helps to support and develop their careers, while the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship is dedicated solely to female jockeys and offers a highly competitive race platform together with training, mentorship and professional guidance under the directives of our patron HH Sheikh Mansoor.
We are proud to align the Festival with such a prestigious awards ceremony and roster of sponsors, and wish our nominees the best of luck in the initial judging stages.”
Many thanks to Lara Sawaya for this fantastic opportunity to promote our lady jockeys, all of whom have excelled when riding in the HH Sheikh Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship. We are all most grateful to Lara Sawaya in approving nominations:
Page Fuller (2015 Champion ARO Lady Rider) who WON in Belgium 2015 when representing GB in the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship;
Joanna Mason (2016 Champion ARO Lady Rider) who was only just beaten in the smallest of margins in a three-way photo finish this year when representing GB in Texas in the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship on her first ride back after a back operation following injury;
Alice Mills (ex-amateur now professional) who WON in Bahrain this year when representing GB in the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship, again a first ride back after being on the sidelines through injury;
Becky Smith who WON in Texas 2015 in her first ride back after a long lay-off from injury in the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship
and Catherine Walton who WON in Belgium 2016 in the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship when riding an Arabian horse for the first time.
Huge congratulations to all of the nominees of whom we are proud and we wish them all the very best of luck! We would also like to thank ARO’s Genny Haynes team for all of their help and support throughout the Arabian racing season.

Photo credits: Debbie Burt Morhaf Alassaf Kai Schirmann Pat Healy