‘Are these Sheikh Mohammed’s horses?’: When Dubai Police’s equestrian unit wowed Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on September 8 aged 96, had a deep connection and friendship with the UAE. She had visited the country twice — in 1979 and then in 2010.

In 2019, the equestrian unit of the Dubai Police had impressed the Queen as the horses took part in the Royal British Windsor Show — the UK’s largest horse show.

In a video released on Thursday, a Dubai Police official recalled his interaction with the Queen. About 173 personnel from the Dubai Mounted Police, Dubai Police Academy and Hemaya International Centre had participated in the show.

Major-General Mohamed Isa Al Adhab, director of the Mounted Police Station, said: “Her Majesty visited the Dubai Police stables during the Windsor Show, and approached us. She asked, ‘Are these Sheikh Mohammed's horses?’

“I replied: ‘Your Majesty, these are ex-racehorses.’

“She paid particular attention to the term ‘ex-racehorses’, turned to a British military official, and asked: ‘Are these similar to what you were talking about?’”

Show horses require a calm, quiet, consistent environment, while racehorses are the “energetic” kind. “So, she was astonished to see (our) racehorses standing quietly next to drummers and surrounded by music.”

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