A breeder leads a horse during the Aseel Egyptian Horse Festival in Cairo, Egypt, May 8, 2026. Running from May 7 to 10 at the Armed Forces Equestrian Club, the Aseel Egyptian Horse Festival is jointly organized by the General Association for Horses and Egyptian veterinarian and horse content creator Hatem Settin, under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture. (Photo: Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

CAIRO, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Under a bright afternoon sky in Cairo's Nasr City, handlers guided elegant Egyptian Arabian horses across a sandy arena, while breeders, judges and horse lovers watched closely from shaded tents at the Aseel Egyptian Horse Festival.

Running from May 7 to 10 at the Armed Forces Equestrian Club, the festival is jointly organized by the General Association for Horses and Egyptian veterinarian and horse content creator Hatem Settin, under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture.

The four-day event brings together dozens of breeders, experts, and horse enthusiasts worldwide, featuring a three-day beauty championship and a closing-day horse auction.

Horses are presented one by one before judges, allowing for a detailed evaluation of their posture, movement, elegance, and breed characteristics.

"The assessment depends on the horse's quality, beauty, movement and overall appearance," said Mohamed Zaghloul, an international judge and Egyptian Arabian horse breeder, who described the Egyptian Arabian horse as "one of the best and most beautiful horse breeds in the world."

"All participating horses are 100 percent Egyptian. It is a celebration of the beauty of the Egyptian Arabian horse," he said.

He added that Egypt is one of the oldest and largest Arab countries with a profound Arabian horse heritage. "Horses have existed here since the Pharaohs, and they are found on temple walls, in museums and in Egyptian antiquities."

The first day focused on female horses, including yearling fillies, two-year-old and three-year-old fillies, and mares of different age groups. The second day was dedicated to male horses, including yearling colts, older colts and stallions.

Dalaa Dema, a one-year-old filly bred by Dema Stud and owned by Al-Hawadi Stud, won the first day's Yearling Fillies Class 1A with a score of 90.88 points.

For her trainer Mohamed Shawky, the victory was the result of long preparation behind the scenes.

"We only enter a horse in the contest when it is fully qualified," he explained. "Our team was confident because we knew the horse's level through participation and experience outside the farm."

He stressed that the audience sees only the final arena presentation, while much of the work is done off-site. Judges evaluate core elements, including the head and neck, type, body and topline, legs, and movement, and a horse's movement shines brightest when it is relaxed and happy, he said. "Our horses are happy; we never upset them."

For Settin, the event is about much more than competition; It represents Egypt's glory, legacy, civilization, history and future.

Settin emphasized that the Egyptian Arabian horse was historically selected from among the finest Arabian horses and preserved in Egypt as a distinct pure strain.

"Today, we want Egyptian horses to regain their glory," he said, adding that the festival seeks to highlight the beauty of the Egyptian horse and support breeders.

This year's festival has attracted around 150 horses from Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, and Iraq.

Mostafa Taha, a breeder from Upper Egypt's Qena province, said the event reflects growing interest in Arabian horses in Egypt. "The Egyptian Arabian horse has a unique spirit," he said. "If you approach it while feeling depressed, you leave happy. It is as if the horse is a friend."

As handlers paraded horses around the arena, with large screens showing the animals and spectators following each class, the festival presented a perfect blend of sport, heritage and genuine passion for horses.