ERA Departments

ERA Departments

The ERA operational structure consists of the following Departmental functions to provide a service to industry participants and to manage racing in the UAE at an operational level:

• Registry
• Arabic
• Handicapping
• Stewards / Integrity
• Veterinary

Registry

The ERA Registry Office is responsible for the registration of all UAE racing participants – human and equine. 

The Registry Office manages the Emirates Thoroughbred Stud Book and Non-Thoroughbred Register, and all thoroughbred horses must be registered through the Registry Office prior to racing.  All Purebred Arabian horses for racing purposes must first be registered with the Emirates Arabian Horse Society and once completed, the passport is then also lodged for registration with the ERA Registry Office.

Entries and Declarations for all race meetings conducted in the UAE are processed by the Registry Office, and race fields for all race meetings conducted in the UAE are disseminated by the Registry Office.

Arabic

The Arabic Department provides a liaison service for all industry participants, including advisory, interpretation and translation services. 

In carrying out its functions, the Arabic Department provides expert technical advice to industry participants to ensure their continued development and awareness of all aspects of the UAE racing industry, including operational procedures and regulatory requirements.

The Arabic Department also manages the preparation of the official race cards for all UAE race meetings, which involves the translation of all relevant horse and form data from English to Arabic, as race cards are printed in both languages.

Handicapping

The main objective of the Handicapper is to ensure that races are run competitively, through the allocation of weights to be carried by each horse in a Handicap race.  The weights allocated to horses in Handicap Races are designed to equalise all horses’ chances in the race.

The main duties of the Handicapper are to maintain a database of official Ratings of all registered horses in order to assign a weight to each individual horse that is entered for Handicap- and Rating-related races.  The Handicapper is responsible for ensuring that the published weights at the entry and declaration stages of race meetings are correct and that the Ratings (weights) have been arrived at in a fair and impartial manner.

To achieve this outcome, the Handicapper reassesses the performance of each racehorse after each performance, and will adjust its rating as deemed necessary.  A higher Rating will be given to horses that perform well, and a lower Rating given to horses that have not performed well. 

The ERA Handicapper also, in consultation with the race clubs, has responsibility for planning the UAE racing programme each season.

Stewards / Integrity

The main objective of the Stewards / Integrity Department is to ensure that racing generally, and race meetings in particular, in the UAE are managed and conducted to ensure high levels of integrity.

In carrying out this function, the Stewards charter is focused on regulating the racing industry and ensuring that all race meetings are conducted, and industry participants conduct themselves and their business, within the Rules of Racing and Instructions of the ERA.

The Stewards / Integrity Department also take responsibility for the safety and well-being of all industry participants, with a view to ensuring that a safe working environment is provided for both horses and riders.

The Stewards / Integrity Department manages the Rule review process for the ERA and also co-ordinates the ERA Licensing Committee’s functions.

Horse Auctions

In accordance with Prime Minister Decision No. (1) Of 2013, all horse auctions, without exception are subject to oversight by the Emirates Racing Authority.

As such, ALL persons or entities wishing to engage in horse auctions (whether public or private) must apply for prior permission from the Emirates Racing Authority. Failure to comply with the provisions of the Ministerial Decision referred to above, and the contents of this circular, may result in legal action being brought against the auction organizer.

Please submit applications for horse auction consent to the following address: [email protected]