About the Arabian Racing Cup

Established in 1983 by Dr. Sam Harrison

The Arabian Racing Cup is a nonprofit corporation founded by Dr. Sam Harrison, originally chartered in 1983 and currently run by its Board of Stewards. The Cup is dedicated to the national and international promotion of breeding and racing purebred Arabian horses.

Foundation of the Darley Awards

The Darley Awards were founded in 1987 and are the crowning jewel of the Arabian Racing Cup. This distinguished annual ceremony recognizes the most outstanding racehorses, jockeys, owners, trainers and breeders of the Arabian horse community. The Darley event is a solid tradition that became a foundation of American Arabian Racing- and has now evolved into a worldwide celebration.

In 2012, the Cup joined together with the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival to further promote the prestigious Darley Awards event on an international level.

The Darley Awards present an opportunity for those involved in Arabian racing to come together from across the nation and around the world to celebrate its virtues and award its best. No other event brings as much attention to Arabian racing in the USA as the Darley Awards ceremony.


Leadership

Arabian Racing Cup is governed by the Board of Stewards. The Darley Committee of the Board of Stewards selects the nominees for Darley Awards and a Voting Academy decides the winners. The Voting Academy is comprised of knowledgeable individuals within the racing community.


National and International Award Recognitions

In light of the new alliance with the HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival under direction of Ms. Lara Sawaya, the "Darleys" were comprised of two distinct award categories in various years.

  • ~HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival Darley Awards (USA National Awards)
  • ~HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Awards (International Awards for Women)


 

The Darley Selection Process

Initial selection of the Darley recipients begins with the Arabian Jockey Club compiling official race statistics of the horses and individuals in each Darley category. The Darley Committee (currently comprised of the Arabian Racing Cup Stewards) then votes to choose the Nominees for USA Darley Awards, and ultimately the Darley Voting Academy decides the winners in a final voting process. The Voting Academy is an extensive group comprised of more than 30 knowledgeable individuals within the racing community.