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Topic: Mohammad Bin Rashid


BECOMING A LEADER
On February 18, 1968, Abu Dhabi Ruler Sheikh Zayed and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Rashid met at a desert campsite to discuss the beginning of a federation between Abu Dhabi and Dubai


THE EARLY 1990s
On October 7,1990, tragedy befell the Maktoum family, Dubai and the United Arab Emirates when Sheikh Rashid passed away following a long illness.

THE CROWN PRINCE
On January 4, 1995, Dubai and the UAE awoke to ground- breaking news splashed in banner headlines in Arabic and English newspapers.


THE NEW MILLENNIUM
Through leadership, vision and innovation, Sheikh Mohammed hopes to guide the people of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates and, indeed, the Middle East, toward a brighter future.



THE EQUESTRIAN
Sheikh Mohammed has earned international recognition as a horse owner... What is not so widely known is that he is also an exceptionally gifted rider.



THE POET
Sheikh Mohammed began composing Nabati poetry while he was still at school. He says the greatest influences on his development as a poet have been his father and the UAE President.

Godolphin
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Now Playing: Godolphin
Topic: Godolphin
Godolphin has become synonymous with international competition, targeting races at all points on the compass. To achieve that, it has developed a unique approach to training horses. One that is designed to advance Godolphin's achievements around the world.

Godolphin has come a long way in a short time winning 117 Group One races in 11 countries (Canada, Dubai, England, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and America). What started ten years ago with a handful of horses, has evolved into a complex operation. Its headquarters is Al Quoz, where strategies are forged and ambitious new targets formulated.

Godolphin's horses congregate at Al Quoz every winter to enjoy the mild Dubaian climate. In many ways it represents a sanctuary, an oasis for man and horse after the rigours of the summer campaigns.


Al Quoz Training Track
The stylish office building was completed in 2002 and the facilities for the horses include a private training track and an equine swimming pool. The welfare of the horses is of prime concern and the Godolphin team benefits from a dedicated feed mill, ensuring both control and uniformity in the diets of its horses worldwide.

From Al Quoz, Godolphin campaigns its string at Nad Al Sheba, beginning with the Dubai International Racing Carnival. This nine-week festival of top class racing starts at the end of January, culminating in the US$6 million Dubai World Cup, the world's richest race, in late March.

Racing stock is assimilated annually before the cream is skimmed off for Godolphin's international agenda. The process starts in Dubai, where some of the best-bred yearlings assemble for their early education. The annual intake is made up of yearlings bought at public auction and those handpicked from the Maktoum family's private studs. The juveniles are housed at Desert Stables, adjacent to Al Quoz.


Desert Stables
Desert Stables is a state-of-the-art complex with its own private training track. It was built at the turn of the 21st century and here the yearlings are broken in and ridden out until they are ready to start more strenuous work. Desert Stables resembles an academy where recruits are monitored and graded regularly by a team of experts.

After the winter in Dubai, the Godolphin team heads to Europe where the horses spend the summer at Godolphin Stables or Moulton Paddocks, Newmarket. This serves as the starting point for any number of international raids, whose successes cement and advance Godolphin's reputation.