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With beautiful palm trees, lovely manicured lawns and a breathtaking view of the desert sands in the sunset, Hawar Riding Centre is a stunning place to sit, relax and, of course, to enjoy the horses.
Owner Jameel Ramadan has chosen elite show jumper Ali Essa to manage the only riding centre located on the south side of the island, in Sakhir. With more than 40 livery boxes, a horse walker, wash bays, tack rooms and a clubhouse, there is great demand for the facilities and it is almost full to capacity.
Essa is a man that lives and breathes horses. His kind and generous personality shines through and he is often able to help riders and owners tackle all those tricky situations they might face in the equine world thanks to his wealth of knowledge.
Just being around him you can’t help but be inspired by his infectious enthusiasm which I know from personal experience as he rides four of my very own horses.
He took one that no-one wanted to ride and in his first show of the season took first place out of a 50-strong field of competitors.
My horse, Manny, is, to politely put it, strong-willed with a mind of his own. Ali was able to mould him into a show jumper of class. He would spend more than an hour with him every day, building a bond that was desperately needed at the time.
Now this horse will do anything for him. But don’t just take my word for it. Just ask any of his 21 riders who are part of his ‘show-jumping team’. They will tell you of the magic that he has when it comes to handling a horse.
In my opinion, his dedication is beyond compare. Funnily enough, you never just see Essa on his own … you see his team … his horse-riding family. At show jumping competitions you can spot him walking the course with around 20 people following him as he explains to each and every one of them individually how their horse needs to go through the course.
I believe he is the only instructor in Bahrain who has six teammates who are able to compete in the Grand Prix. That alone speaks for itself. He also took two young riders who had previously only competed in junior competition on to the adult classes with spectacular results. Hussain Dadulla won first place amongst the adult riders and now competes in the Grand Prix at the tender age of 17 and Essa’s young brother Ahmed has been placed in the top six more than once.
Essa is a quiet, shy type of guy, who refuses to speak about what he has accomplished. He only wants to speak of his team and what they have achieved. But Too Hot To Trot wanted to know more about the man, so your columnist spoke to his friends and colleagues.
Essa has won countless Grand Prix events and been in the winners’ circle more times than anyone can count. Just last year he won the Grand Prix in which he was awarded a prize horse from Belgium.
He has competed in several international shows and trained with some of the best. His success is too much to list in one article. But, to me, his biggest accomplishment is the admiration he garners from his students which he calls ‘the team’.
The love and loyalty each of them have for him defines his character better than I can with a few words. I personally don’t know anyone – with perhaps the exception of my rancher father – who works as hard, or is more dedicated to the horse and rider, than Essa.
Hawar Riding Centre has everything you need … including the best instructor and trainer I know! Trot readers are free to visit and take a tour of the facility, which is located at the heart of the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club.
Ongoing events
The Dilmun Stables has pony club and private lessons available throughout the week. For more information, call 33309972.
Twin Palms Riding Centre has private lessons available. For more information, call Elaine on 32261337.
