The key to living a happy life is by following your passion. You might be qualified and trained for one profession, but if your heart lies in a different field, it’s always best to follow suit. The same happened in the case of Hassan Al Mannai. He started out in the finance industry and is now making waves in the equestrian industry.
Hassan was all of three years old when he first came in contact with horses. As a child, he enjoyed horse-riding with his father and the rest of his family. As Hassan grew older, he realized that his passion for horses wasn’t just a phase and that it was here to stay. As he grew into early adulthood, he continued horse-riding and his interest and passion for the Arabian horse multiplied. The Arabian horse breed garnered his full attention once he started attending horse shows globally and began gaining more knowledge about them.
While one can say that Hassan was always destined to work in the equestrian industry, not many know that he was originally a banker by profession. When he started his career, Hassan worked in the banking sector in various capacities such as a relationship officer and senior relationship manager. While he continued to work in the field of finance, his heart always belonged to the horses. While he pursued his banking job, he kept improving his knowledge about the equestrian industry by surrounding himself with horse owners and breeders.
Hassan finally made his foray into the equestrian industry in 2013. In 2014, he had founded and built his own stud, called the Al Reeh and owned his own breeding program. Al Reeh is situated in the heart of Qatar and specializes in breeding high-quality Arabian horses with a capacity of more than 40 horses. Al Reeh has built a commendable reputation as it has obtained several medals in both national and international competitions.
However, Hassan didn’t stop there as he wanted to take his passion for horses to new heights. In 2017, he successfully became the representative for Qatar as a judge at national and international competitions covering Qatar, Italy, Denmark, and Russia. In early 2018, Hassan achieved yet another milestone. He was appointed as the Director of Show at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club. The club is recognized as a member of ECAHO since 1994 and Qatar is the first non-European country member in ECAHO. The club has successfully organized five shows, out of which two were international. In 2018, Hassan organized a national show with the largest number of registrations ever recorded with over 350 horses participating. Hassan has also organized an Arabian horse auction, which took place at the end of 2018. The auction saw 80 plus horses in attendance and all of them were sold successfully.
A proud member of the equestrian industry, Hassan hopes to scale new heights in the years to come. He aims to do so by developing his knowledge, skills, and network within the industry. Hassan also wants to promote Qatar as a world hub for the Arabian Horse Show and a leader in the pure Arabian breed.
