Libya restarts equestrian championships after 13 years

STORY: Some 200 Libyan horse riders as well as a participant from Tunisia competed in the championship that took place in Tripoli on March 3 and 4.

The last similar event was held in 2009 before the civil war and unrest broke out. The Equestrian Club, located on Tripoli's airport road ,became a battlefield and one of the areas that witnessed frequent violent clashes.

Al-Senussi Asweb, head of the preparatory committee for the Libyan show jumping equestrian championship, said:

“With the slogan of ‘yes to the return of life and the homeland brings us together’, we are now in the field of the equestrian school in Tripoli, and as you know that equestrianism had a great role in Libya, and the Libyan horse riders had a great history. This school used to host horse riders from all over the world, from Belgium, Italy, Britain, USA, and Turkey. But due to the well-known circumstances, it stopped, and we are now through this tournament sending a message to the world that Libya is safe, and that equestrianism is still in place. We seek through this tournament to prepare for a bigger international championship in which many countries from around the world will participate.”