Erbil Equestrian Club Builds International Ambitions Through Young Talent

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - At Erbil International Equestrian Club, riders young and experienced took to the course with friends and families watching from nearby, as more than 60 competitors from across the Kurdistan Region and Iraq gathered for the two-day Autumn Equestrian Championship.

For the club, the tournament is also part of a larger ambition: developing facilities and riders capable of competing at an international level and preparing to host a major international championship next year.

Mahand Sirwan Barzani, President of Erbil Equestrian Club, told Kurdistan24 that the club's buildings, indoor and outdoor arenas and other facilities meet international standards.

"In terms of the buildings, the indoor and outdoor arenas, and all our facilities, everything is fully up to international standards," Barzani said.

He went further, describing the club as the most advanced of its kind across the surrounding region and neighboring countries.

That assessment is the club president's own characterization, but Barzani pointed to training and veterinary care as other areas where the institution has invested.

The club employs both international and local coaches, he said, adding that its Kurdish and local trainers hold international certifications.

Horse health is supported by an equine clinic that has operated for around six years.

Barzani described it as effectively a hospital for horses and said it is the only facility of its kind in Iraq. According to him, its veterinary equipment also meets international standards.

Yet beyond the infrastructure, the championship's most personal stories could be found among the riders themselves.

Among them is Sosan Khasraw, a young equestrian from Erbil who says she began riding at about five years old.

She has now spent nearly six years developing her skills and says she has already collected 14 trophies from competitions.

"I have won most of the championships I have participated in — 14 cups," Sosan told Kurdistan24.

Her ambitions remain high.

"Today, I have a lot of confidence in myself, and God willing, I believe I can win first place," she said.

Standing nearby were people who had come specifically to encourage her, including her cousin and friends Chpka and Taha.

For Sosan, their presence mattered almost as much as the competition itself.

"It feels very, very good today that they have come to support me," she said. "It makes me want to work even harder and develop further in my field."

Balancing school and equestrian training requires some adjustment. When classes limit her time, Sosan said she trains once or twice a week, depending on her schedule.

That combination of youth and competition was visible throughout the event.

The championship has no age restriction, and its youngest participant was only five years old, placing children on the same broader competition program as riders with greater experience.

Before entering the main event, participants received safety and course-familiarization training and completed warm-up rounds to assess conditions.

Supporters also played their part.

One spectator interviewed by Kurdistan24 had come specifically to encourage his friend Hedi.

He said he had not expected Hedi to perform as strongly as he did and praised his performance after the rider cleared a height of 80 and completed his run in 39 seconds.

"His performance was very good, thank God," the supporter said.

Competitors are being assessed under established technical criteria, with trophies and medals awaiting the top three finishers. The event concludes with speed and show-jumping competitions.

Organizers also see the Autumn Equestrian Championship as preparation for something larger.

Officials said the tournament will help lay the groundwork for an international equestrian championship that Erbil International Equestrian Club plans to host next year.

For riders such as Sosan, those plans offer a glimpse of where years of training might eventually lead.

And for the friends gathered beside the course, the event remains something simpler as well: an afternoon spent watching someone close to them clear another obstacle and urging them toward the next one.