Over 350 international attendees have been invited to the dinner, including Princess Adila bint Abdullah, a founding member of the Layan Cultural Foundation; Prince Nawwaf bin Faisal, deputy president of the General Presidency of the Saudi Youth Welfare and the Saudi Equestrian Federation; Steve Beshear, mayor of Kentucky; and the heads of international equestrian Olympic committees.
Prince Faisal's book, "Furusiyya," which means equestrian, will also be introduced at the event. Furusiyya is an inspirational account of the equestrian heritage of Arabia and contains discourse on the cultural aspects of the sport and its history. The book was first published in 1984 in two volumes.
According to Princess Adila, it took 18 months to prepare for the event. She added that the Saudi fashion designer Yahya Al-Bishri has been commissioned to make a collection of 50 dresses for the event. Jewelry designer Hala Al-Shoail has also been commissioned to make a collection of 26 pieces of jewelry. Both have taken inspiration from Prince Faisal's book.
The princess said that after the Kentucky event, dresses and jewelry, which belong to Layan Cultural Foundation and Al-Amoudi Group (MIDROC), will be put on show in an exhibition that will tour several cities, including London. The dresses and jewelry will then finally be put on display at the Equestrian Museum in Saudi Arabia. She also said books and additional souvenirs will be available to buy at the exhibition.
Princess Adila said that according to specialists the future of horse riding is promising. She added that there might be future collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Culture due to its expertise in promoting culture.
She also said she hoped equestrian fans would benefit from these cultural events as horse riding was very important in previous times. "Linking the cultural and technical sides of the equestrian sport will reflect the love and appreciation we have for this sport as a society," she said.
Being an active supporter of women's sports and women's well being, Princess Adila said physical activity in general is a healthy, physiological and social requirement. She said horse riding in particular is a noble Arabian sport that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) recommended teaching children due to its benefits as a sport and the values it teaches such as patience, focus and dedication.
Sponsored by Layan Cultural Foundation, the event will also feature music about Arab horsemen by the Moroccan musician Saeed Al-Sharaibi.
In addition to the jewelry and fashion exhibition, Egyptian artist Ahmed Moustafa, founder of the Fe-Noon Research Centre for Arab Art and Design in London since 1983, was also commissioned to paint a picture titled "Horse & Horseman." The painting depicts the Kingdom's founder, King Abdul Aziz, on horseback, who, as Prince Faissal writes in Furusiyya, was the last Arab to unite a nation on horseback.
The exhibition, which is to cost around $2.3 million, will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park Museum, and will be open during the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Four Saudi equestrian sportsmen will also participate in the event, including Prince Abdullah bin Metib, Khalid Al-Eid, Ramzi Al-Duhame and Kamal Bahmadan.
