Published in Dubai and read worldwide, Equestrio Arabia became the second title in the Equestrio stable when it launched in 2004.
Filled with reports from the world’s major equestrian events in all disciplines, and polo in all its incarnations - the modern day sport played on horseback, traditional mountain polo, elephant and camel polo - as well as reportage, adventure and luxury travel and lifestyle, art and photography features, Equestrio aims to be informed and adventurous.
The editorial team in Dubai is supported by an international team of freelance writers and photographers, each one of whom is a specialist in their field. Great value is placed upon photography and we work with some of the world’s most renowned experts.
The team
Michael Lahyani, Publisher: Michael is the co-founder and CEO of Swiss Media Group, and the co-founder of the Equestrio stable of titles. Swiss Media Group publishes seven magazines, and their corresponding web-portals in Switzerland and the UAE. Michael is also the co-founder and CEO of the first international property portal in the UAE, Propertyfinder.ae. In 2007 he sold 51 per cent of the company to the REA Group of Australia, which operates the world's only truly global real estate advertising company - with 18 websites in ten countries.
Earlier in his career he worked at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Geneva, his hometown. He received his MBA with a specialty in finance from HEC Lausanne and spent a year in UCLA California.
Lucy Monro, Editor in Chief: Author of the definitive book on the Arabian horses of the UAE, Spirits of the Sands, Lucy has contributed to most of the world’s major international equestrian titles as both writer and photographer. She has consulted for CNN and reported in print and broadcast on current affairs from around the world. In 2004 she joined forces with Michael Lahyani, to launch Equestrio Arabia.
A horsewoman as much as a journalist, Lucy learned to ride at the age of four and competed throughout childhood in the UK, moving to three-day eventing before qualifying as a British Horse Society instructor. She returned to competition in the Gulf, show jumping in Bahrain and the UAE, as well as riding HH The Ruler of Sharjah’s Mujahid (Crusader) to win the stallion ridden championships in Abu Dhabi, and riding on the Royal Stables Endurance Team for which she was second in the first international Ladies Championship riding Alandell Houdini.
Laura King, Deputy Editor: British-born Laura has been interested in horses and horseracing since the age of two, when she was first taken to a Point-to-Point by her father. She has ridden since the age of seven and once had what she describes as "probably the fattest Purebred Arabian ever". A graduate of the British Horseracing Board's scholarship scheme, Laura arrived in the UAE in 2005 after spending the summer on the Racing Post. To date she describes her best moment in racing as being just a few feet from Invasor after he won the Dubai World Cup in 2007.
Daoud Assad, Business Development: Having travelled the world producing socio-economic reports for the International Herald, Tribune, New York Times, Le Monde and the Sunday Telegraph, Swedish/Moroccan-born Daoud settled in the UAE in 2006 after being attracted by the prospect of living and working in what he describes as “the crossroads of the world”. Fluent in Swedish, English, French, Spanish and Moroccan Arabic, Daoud has run projects in Poland, Uzbekistan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Suriname, Portugal and Mauritus. He now heads up Equestrio’s business development and marketing.
Contributors
Deirdre Hyde: Deirdre has been Stud Manger at W’rsan Stables, Abu Dhabi since its inception in 2000. She first came to the Gulf as Arabian Horse Consultant to the Royal Stables where she transformed the breeding programme into one of the most respected in the region: producing international show champions and highly successful local-bred racehorses. Her involvement with horses is lifelong, in particular with Arabians. Few people have her worldwide experience of the breed and she has an encyclopaedic knowledge of bloodlines, their strengths and weaknesses. A life member of both WAHO and The Arab Horse Society of Great Britain, Deirdre is on both the AHS and ECAHO judges panels and has judged extensively throughout the world. Her book, 40 Years of British Arab Horse Champions, was published in 1993.
Dara Williams: Dara is an international polo writer based in London. She is a regular contributor to Equestrio and has reported from Malaysia, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Jordan and Australia. As well as writing she also designs a range of polo accessories. A keen follower of polo for many years, Dara is a familiar face at polo matches around the world and has interviewed many of the sport’s leading figures - including the world’s best player, Adolfo Cambiaso.
Barry Shepherd: Barry first journeyed to the UAE seven years ago when he was invited to show Arabians for the Royal Stables in Abu Dhabi. He has always been involved with horses; he was riding before he could walk. His first recollection of being in the limelight was winning at the Horse of the Year Show at the tender age of seven in the lead rein class. Respected as one of the top trainers, Barry is now working closely with Al Aryam Arabians in Abu Dhabi.
Photographers
Tim Flach: International Fine Art Photographer of the Year in 2006, Tim is acclaimed for his uniquely perceptive fine art portrayals of animals, and moved into the genre of equestrian photography to instant acclaim in 2005. He has exhibited worldwide, as far afield as Shanghai, at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in Texas, the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, the KO University in Tokyo and at the FEI World Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 2006. His images are in the permanent collections of the City Hall and Citadel in Berlin and the Heng Dian in China. In addition to his prolific advertising work, Tim is currently close to completing a two-year project to complete a fine art photographic book, Equus, of equestrian photography. Tim’s invaluable contributions to Equestrio include covers and regular portfolio collections.
www.timflach.com
Andrew Watkins: A man whose professional life has always revolved around racing, Andrew rode a winner on the flat for Her Majesty The Queen in 1985 at Ascot before moving to the United States and then to Dubai in 1995 to take up a position for HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum. At the turn of the century he took up photography with the aim of capturing the essence of the world that he was immersed in on film and has since become established as a renowned racing and sports photographer. His work is published worldwide. Our ‘man on the ground’ in the UAE, Andrew plays an key role in the Equestrio team contributing racing, polo and Arabian horse images as well as cover shots.
www.andrewwatkinsphoto.com
Pat Healy: The son of renowned photographer Liam Healy, Pat has specialised in racing photography for three decades. Based in Ireland he captures the best of the action on the track in his homeland and throughout the UK and Europe.
