Sheikh Hamdan's falcon destroys Championship for Falconry

Birds of a feather…

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan, aka the Crown Prince of Dubai, has just won first place at the Fazza Falcon and Hunting Tournament in Dubai.

Well, he didn’t do it himself. His falcon Ghaith was the star.

“Wait, there are falconry competitions?” we hear you ask.

Yeah, and they’re pretty intense, too – involving live prey and all.

*ALSO: You can now fly with falcons in a hot air balloon*

For the live prey rounds, a live bird (not the falcon, the prey) is launched into the air and the competing falcons race to catch it.

Here’s a video of Sheikh Hamdan hanging out with his falcons Ghayath and Ghaith:

The competition also includes speed races, with the falcons split into categories depending on the competitors’ regions and falcon species.

The runner-up falcon B6 was also awarded the prize of first place by Sheikh Hamdan as a token of appreciation for participants and to encourage them to work hard.

More…
*Dubai Opera to host a world-class squash tournament*

WHAT’S WITH THE FALCONRY?

Falconry has been around the Gulf region for more than 4,000 years.

Falcons were captured as they migrated through the Arabian Peninsula towards the South, and were then tamed and turned into personal hunters.

The Fazza Falcon and Hunting tournament exists to show that the traditional practice of falconry remains alive and well.

So no, falcons don’t just exist with those little blindfolds on as tourist attractions.

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