Al Shira'aa Drops Title Sponsorship of Falsterbo Horse Show

Dressage

Sweden

Al Shira'aa Stables has decided to revoke its title sponsorship of the Falsterbo Horse Show following racists attacks on social media against the sponsor.

Who is Al Shira'aa?

Al Shira'aa is led by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan from the United Arabic Emirates.

In its own press release, it reads, "Al Shira’aa Stables is internationally recognized for its exceptional stallions and its annual breeding of outstanding horses, many of which have achieved success on the global stage. These horses exemplify the excellence and passion that drive Her Highness’ vision for equestrianism.

Al Shira'aa also sponsors the Hamburg and Hickstead Derby.

A six-year agreement with Falsterbo was secured last year, starting in 2025. The agreement entailed "a long-term collaboration, marking an important milestone for the competition and further strengthening its international reputation."

Collaboration Ended

In a press release posted in Swedish on the Falsterbo website it was announced that the collaboration between Al Shira'aa Stables and Falsterbo ended.

“This agreement was worked out with the greatest hopes and enthusiasm. Becoming part of Al Shira'aa's venture with Hamburg and Hickstead, among others, we believed would lift these classic and historic competitions together. However, the hatred and various threats that have occurred against Al Shira'aa, against HH Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bint Zayed Al Nahyan , against me personally and my employees have been beyond all reasonableness,” said Jana Wannius, Chair of the Falsterbo Organizing Committee.

It further stated, "We have received a lot of criticism recently. Falsterbo failed to communicate our decision and what the intention was with the long-term collaboration. The whole thing has escalated in such a way that the discussion and debate overshadows what we all love, the competition and the event itself."

Sportwashing and Racist Undertones

The "communication failure" mainly concerns Falsterbo's inaction to explain to the (equestrian) community the benefits of having a strong title sponsor for the future existence of the show. It was reported that Falsterbo also failed to counter the racist slur and allegations of sport-washing voiced on social media and even in Swedish mainstream media.

Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan hails from the royal family of Abu Dhabi. She is the first born of His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and the granddaughter of the late Sheikh Zayed, the father of the nation. She is an avid horse lover and artist and with her Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy seeks to empower women through sporting, social, and cultural activities.

Al Shira'aa has sponsored dressage competitions in the past but in recent years has been focusing on supporting show jumping competitions. The revoking of the sponsorship is not relate to animal welfare campaigns, nor the sport's social licence to operate.

Sponsors Pull Out

After the announcement of Al Shira'aa's involvement with Falsterbo, other sponsors pulled out, including major European feed company St. Hippolyt, which announced on Facebook on 11 March that,

"For us, sustainability is not just a matter of environmental impact, but also about creating a fair and ethical society. Our commitment to sustainable and ethical practices requires that we carefully choose our partners," St. Hippolyt wrote. "Our basic values are based on respect for all people, the environment and animal welfare. We believe it is crucial that we as an organization act according to the principles we stand for and not cooperate with companies or individuals that do not comply with these ethical guidelines."

This decision was picked up by Swedish mainstream media, like Dagens Nyheter, while well known Swedish sport journalist Olof Lundh dedicated a column to it in Dagens Industri. He wrote, "Swedish sports must choose a path around the money from the Middle East. Of course it can accept the millions, but then it would eliminate all values. There is zero credibility in standing up for a cause when it suits you – and then still being for sale."

On social media volunteers announced they were no longer willing to help the show, and ticket sales were apparently also impacted by Al Shira'aa's title sponsorship.

Swedish Equestrian Federation Supports Decision

The Swedish equestrian magazine Ridsport spoke with Sandra Ruuda, chair of the Swedish Equstrian Federation, who voiced her support for the decision.

"We welcome the announcement and think it is a wise decision. It shows that the criticism has been listened to," Ruuda told Ridsport. "It is important to clarify that the federation was not aware of the partnership until Falsterbo announced it. We already said at the time that we, from the Swedish Equestrian Federation, thought the collaboration was problematic from a values perspective. This led to dialogue with Falsterbo and, among other things, to the decision to approve Falsterbo's international proposals in the federation board going forward."

Ruuda added, "It is never okay with either hatred or threats and here it is important to distinguish between criticism and just this. The association stands for our values and a democratic foundation where all opinions should be heard. But the harsh tone we have seen flourishing in this debate has no place in our sport."