FN is considering filing a lawsuit against Al Shira'aa over non-payment for the National Championships

There was a heated debate when Al Shira’aa Stables took over as title sponsor of several long-standing equestrian events: the Derby tournaments in Hickstead and Hamburg, the Tournament of Champions in Münster, and the Bundeschampionat in Warendorf. The dressage competition at the Royal Windsor Horse Show is also held under the Al Shira’aa logo. The UAE-based stable from Abu Dhabi—with branches in the United Kingdom and Münster, among other locations—was actually set to become the title sponsor of the Falsterbo Horse Show in Sweden as well. However, the opposition and protests—including from exhibitors and other sponsors—were so intense that the organizers backed down.

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Open Letter

: Behind Al Shira’aa Stables stands a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the granddaughter of the founder and daughter of Abu Dhabi’s current deputy ruler. Following the end of the partnership with Falsterbo, Sheikha’s office published an open letter. In it, she states, among other things:

“Our mission was to help protect these historic events from commercial takeover and to return the sport to the people to whom it belongs: the fans, the families, the horse breeders, and the culture that gave rise to it.”

In Sweden, on the other hand, she said she had been subjected to “hate, violence, and racism” by the media. She believes, among other things, in freedom of speech and Swedish rights. But insulting her and her brand is not a freedom, she said, but “an attack that causes harm.” “Words may seem unimportant—but actions are what count,” said the sheikha.

So far, so good. But now it is Al Shira’aa’s own contractually guaranteed actions—or rather, its failure to act, such as issuing a wire transfer—that matter more than words.

Fails to Pay Funds

—More specifically, the amount is in the seven figures. That is reportedly the total sum that German tournament organizers—who brought Al Shira’aa on board as their title sponsor—are still waiting to receive. At the 2025 National Championships, the agreed-upon amount was paid, but the funds for 2026 are still outstanding, confirmed Dr. Dennis Peiler, CEO of Pferdesport Deutschland. Association President Martin Richenhagen told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that there is a 200,000-euro shortfall in the Bundeschampionat budget. Peiler reassured that the event would be “financially stable this year even without a title sponsor.”

Münster’s tournament director, Hendrik Snoek, does not want to specify the exact amount that is missing, but says the total budget for the “Tournament of Champions” is 1.8 million euros. Plans for the tournament to achieve five-star status—which had been held out as a prospect when Al Shira’aa was announced as the new title sponsor—have already been scrapped for 2025. “That would mean an additional 250,000 euros, and that’s difficult to justify in today’s climate,” said Snoek.

The contract between the Tournament of Champions and Al Shira’aa is actually set to run through 2030. But Snoek confirms: “Right now, there’s a lot of confusion. No one knows exactly what’s going on.” He explained that this is due to restructuring processes within the Emirates regarding the distribution of responsibilities for areas such as sports. FN board member Peiler made a similar statement: “We are in contact with our contractual partner and can say that Al Shira’aa is currently undergoing a structural reorganization.”

But who is the contracting party? When asked about this, Peiler elaborates: “We are still in contact with the Sheikha’s general representative. He has been our point of contact from the start, but does not wish to be named. We are still in contact with him.”

Organizers Express Optimism

Despite the situation, Hendrik Snoek remains calm: “The details for this year are still up in the air. But we’ve been told it’s going to happen.” And if it doesn’t happen—Hendrik Snoek is convinced: “If a sponsor drops out, you have to rethink things. The Tournament of Champions has a long tradition. It will continue.” Hamburg’s tournament director, Matthias Alexander Rath, also expressed similar optimism in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

He listed a number of interested investors here and is also counting on a partnership with the new“Premier Jumping League,” which plans to hold a stop at the Hamburg Derby venue next year. In fact, the FEI lists two tournament dates for 2027: the traditional Derby weekend on Ascension Day (May 5–9) and another from September 2–5 with the codes “CSI5* PJL, CSI4*, CSI3*, CSIAm-A.”

So there’s a major event in the works that would take place at the same time as the National Championships in Warendorf.

FN Considers Legal Action

Against

Although the FN is equally optimistic about the future of the National Championships—the contract with Al Shira’aa runs only until 2027 anyway—President Richenhagen nevertheless does not intend to waive the outstanding payment. He told Gabriele Pochhammer of the Süddeutsche Zeitung that he had written a letter to the UAE Embassy in Berlin. However, he added that they are “also considering initiating standard debt collection proceedings against the Al Shira company and will recover the money through the courts if necessary.”