- The Mugharia Heritage Sports Village in AlUla hosted 2,000 elite falcons and their owners during the first edition of the tournament, organized from December 28th has January 5th
- The international competition attracted top falconers from around the world for a series of exciting races and traditional “best-in-show” falcon beauty contests.
EASY, Saudi Arabia, January 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — After nine days of thrilling aerial action and highly controversial beauty pageants featuring perfectly groomed birds of prey, the first-ever AlUla Falcon Cup has come to an end. The first tournament attracted some of the best and most awarded falconers, who competed to share a record prize pool of 16 million US dollars. A collaboration between the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Saudi Falcons Club (SFC), the AlUla Falcon Cup is an exciting new edition to AlUla’s annual calendar of heritage sporting events and competitions.
More than 2,000 elite falcons, from six of the most famous and sought-after subspecies, took part in various daily races, with each lightning-fast bird’s flight expertly tracked using a laser and a cutting-edge laser. camera systems that calculated their speed to the nearest fraction of a second.
The AlUla Falcon Cup drew on the expertise of leading falconry competition judges, Rajeh Al Juhani Since Saudi ArabiaAnd Italy Francesco Drico, to identify and note the performance of each bird. The technologies used by the judges ensured a clear photo-finish analysis of the results of each race.
Staging from December 28th has January 5th, the event was divided into four categories to cater for KSA falconers as well as international competitors. Saudi falconers were invited to the first category, with 24 rounds of racing and a prize pool of 2.77 million US dollars. Local and regional falconry teams previously qualified for the prestigious King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival have been invited to participate in the second category, with 48 events and a prize fund of 7.63 million US dollars.
The third category was open only to top falcons and saw the most elite and best-trained birds of prey compete over six series of races for prizes worth 2.8 million US dollars. The final event of the AlUla Falcon Cup was the highly anticipated beauty pageant, named mazayen. A prize pool of 2.72 million US dollars was shared among the winners of the six rounds of the competition.
Judges carefully examined each bird’s beak, claws, wingspan, leg length and chest girth to assess its overall aesthetic appeal. The culmination of the AlUla Falcon Cup, the Mazayan “best-in-show” beauty pageant took place from January 2 to January 4 and attracted great interest from members of the international falconry community as well as visitors.
Practiced for centuries, falconry has long been an essential part of life in many parts of the world. Today, these birds of prey are primarily trained for competitions, with falconers demonstrating their mastery of their birds by applying ancient techniques that have been used for generations. The AlUla Falcon Cup hosted six breeds of falcons, with both young and mature birds invited to compete.
Participating species included Saker, Peregrine, Pure Gyr, Gyr Cross, Gyr-Peregrine Mix and Gyr-hybrid. By using captive-bred falcons, the competition supported international efforts to protect wild falcon populations, facing declines due to habitat loss and hunting.
The success of the AlUla Falcon Cup reinforces AlUla’s position as the global home of heritage sports. An opportunity to showcase Saudi identity, the event wowed spectators with a mix of traditional activities and sporting spectacle. The Mugharia Heritage Sports Village was a dynamic, immersive and family-friendly destination throughout the nine-day tournament schedule.
During the competition, local schoolchildren from the AlUla community were introduced to falconry and its proud roots as a much-loved heritage sport. Young people met champion falconers, observed their birds up close and immersed themselves in the traditions and skills of the sport during specially organized tours of the Mugharia Heritage Sports Village.
Ziad Al SuhaibaniRCU head of sports, said: “The first ever edition of the AlUla Falcon Cup was a huge success. The collaboration between the Royal Commission for AlUla and the Saudi Falcons Club has helped ensure that this competition attracts the highest caliber of falconers from around the world who have excelled during a fierce competition for a record prize pool.
“Now established as the premier destination for heritage sports, ranging from falconry to equestrian competitions, camel racing, and much more, AlUla continues to host exciting competitions featuring some of the best teams and practitioners traditional sporting disciplines. We look forward to the return of the AlUla Falcon Cup and crowning other champions who have demonstrated incredible feats of avian excellence and the close bond that exists between man and bird.
Noted for editors:
It’s always AlUla/not Al-Ula
About the Royal Commission for AlUla
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by royal decree in July 2017 preserve and develop AlUla, a region of exceptional natural and cultural significance in the northwest Saudi Arabia. RCU’s long-term plan outlines a responsible, sustainable and sensitive approach to urban and economic development that preserves the region’s natural and historical heritage while making AlUla a desirable place to live, work and visit. This encompasses a wide range of initiatives in archaeology, tourism, culture, education and the arts, reflecting a commitment to meeting the priorities of economic diversification, local community empowerment and preservation of the country’s heritage. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 Program.
The official X hashtags for the AlUla Falcon Cup are #AlUlaFalconCup And #AlUla_Falcons_Cup.
Follow the Royal Commission for AlUla on X for the latest updates @RCU_SA
SOURCE Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)
