The Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) this week announced the ‘Racing Oscar Awards’ under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Racing Authority.

Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman of the ERA, expressed his appreciation to Sheikh Mansoor for launching the new initiative, which aims to recognise and promote excellence in the industry and encourage the horse racing community to achieve more success.

Sheikh Rashid said the awards will feature several categories that recognise individuals who have added value to the industry, but are rarely in the spotlight, such as media professionals and other unsung heroes. The awards will also honour pioneers in the industry who have played a pivotal role in developing the equestrian sector in the country.

Sheikh Rashid said exact details of the awards will be announced at a later stage, adding racing specialists will be partly involved in the voting process. The evaluation procedure of the awards will follow the highest standards of transparency and integrity and there will also be an independent jury to evaluate entries. Horse racing fans and media representatives will also get the opportunity to be involved in the selection process.