Abuja: Mustapha Abubakar-Bida, the National Coordinator of the Horse Racing Federation of Nigeria (HRFN), has announced that horses bred in Nigeria are on the verge of reaching global standards in horse racing.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Abubakar-Bida made this declaration during the grand finale of the Kano derby competition, themed “Renewed Hope International Horse Racing Derby,” held on Saturday.
Abubakar-Bida highlighted the remarkable improvement in the skills, speed, and strength of Nigeria-bred horses during the competition. He noted that horses which previously completed a 5-falon race in approximately 1 minute and 10 seconds have now achieved the feat in just 1 minute. This, he described, is one of the highest speeds attainable in horse racing, marking a significant milestone for locally bred horses.
“We are witnessing history as our Nigerian horses continue to break records. Their enhanced skills and speed are moving us closer to global recognition in the horse racing arena,” he state
d. Abubakar-Bida emphasized the impact of these achievements on Nigeria’s position on the global stage, expressing optimism about the future potential of Nigerian horses to be acknowledged among the world’s fastest.
The introduction of the starting gate was also credited for improving time management and elevating the standards of horse racing in Nigeria. Abubakar-Bida highlighted the federation’s initiative to pioneer the training of female jockeys in Africa, noting the historic novelty female race held during the competition as a step towards this goal.
“This is Africa’s first instance of women participating in an international horse racing event, aligning with global practices seen in Europe and America for over four decades. We aim for Nigeria to be the first African nation to produce globally competitive female jockeys,” he added.
The competition witnessed dominance by horses from the Speedy stables in Bauchi and S.D stables in Niger, with notable victories in various races. In race 23 (5F – 1000M), a
horse named Abba, and in race 19 (10F – 2000M), a horse named Lailatu Qadri, both from S.D stable in Niger, won the top prizes in the President Bola Tinubu cup and the Etsu Nupe, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar cup, respectively.
Additionally, Speedy stable’s horses, Lailatul Qadir and Salsabil, secured first positions in the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II cup, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad-Abubakar III cup in races 20 and 21, respectively. Other victorious horses included Hannan from Alhaji Tajuddeen Dantata stable in Kano and Hayaniya from Ameer stable in Katsina, winning the Gov. Abba Kabir-Yusuf cup and the Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata memorial cup, respectively.
Abubakar Sulaiman-Ilo, Director of Speedy Stable, celebrated the horse Lailatul Qadir’s historic achievement of winning the ninth car in the competition, expressing confidence in their stable’s continued dominance in the racing scene.