More than 400 falconers battled their birds’ mightiest wings at Al Dhafra Festival's Falconry Competition that had prizes adding up to Dh930,000
Al Dhafra Festival's Falconry Competition. Photos: Supplied
Rashid Al Ketbi received his first falcon from his father when he was 10 years old and has been inseparable from birds of prey ever since.
“I took the falcon with me everywhere, even when I went to sleep,” said the 45-year-old Emirati.
The bird, a gift from his father who practised hunting falconry, belonged to the Waqri breed that are specifically used for hunting due to their speed and sharp hunting instincts. Proving to be a challenge to maintain like any other raptor, Al Ketbi said he learned patience and persistence from his new pet, driving him to adopt a lifetime of falconry.
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While growing up in Dubai, Al Ketbi trained with his wild birds near his house at dawn before going to school, and in the afternoon after he returned.
“My father made it clear that my studies were top priority, and that he would allow me to continue my hobby as long as I did well in school; he promised me more birds and better breeds if I got good grades.”
During his school years, Al Ketbi developed the passion to compete in falconry through local community contests; “they were held at a small scale, and the prey was either a duck or a donkey; whoever managed to hunt a duck received a cash prize of 25,000 dirhams.”
After finishing high school, young Al Ketbi was confident that he wanted to pursue falconry as a career and refrained from entering university, dedicating his life to the sport.
“Falconry is in my blood, it is my heritage and the heritage of my grandparents,” he explained.
Al Ketbi was one of 30 winners to receive prizes adding to Dh930,000 during Al Dhafra Festival’s falconry competitions this week.
Starting on December 22, the four-day contests received 419 falconers from around the UAE. First place winners were eligible for Dh100,000, second place winners received Dh25,000, third place received Dh15,000, fourth place Dh10,000 while fifth place winners went home with Dh5,000.
On each day, separate contests were held for different breeds of birds. Two of Al Ketbi’s falcons won first place across different categories, while another won third place.
Raising a winning falcon is not an easy task, it takes a month of taming and another of training, while enduring the wild bird’s bites every time its new owner carries it. He described the steps he took with his tebei’ jernas breed that came first in its category on Day 1 of the competition.
After buying it from its original owner around a year ago, he had to teach it to trust him and follow his orders.
“It was violent and acted upon its wildlife instincts, it would resist and bite every time I carried it, but I had to keep trying until it finally bonded with me.
“I used to carry it with me to the majles and turn the TV on and chat with the attendees to make it feel familiar around humans.”
The second step, he said, was to make the bird feel dependent on him for food; “I gradually reduced its meal portions, so it would keep coming to me for more.”
“If you don’t establish a bond with your bird, it will not succeed, it took me a week to teach him to respond when I call him, it takes some people up to three weeks.”
The wild bird then goes through a month of strength training for its wing and back muscles, “just like humans when they start running or going to the gym, they are weak at first, but after training for some time they become stronger.”
Falcons should also be trained to fully stretch its wings when summoned by its owner for hunting. Before participating in any competition, Al Ketbi said he takes his birds to a preparation camp in Dubai.
Training methods came a long way since his early days, he said.
“Now we use drones or plane dummies to mimic a flying prey to train our falcons to chase it.”
Falconry competitions also vary in the types of preys they use; Al Dhafra Festival used taxidermied pigeons tied to a rope that was waved around to mimic flying birds. Competing falcons must hunt down the prey within the shortest time possible. Average winning times on Wednesday ranged from 17.155 seconds to 17.528 seconds for one of the categories.
Despite winning many cash prizes throughout the three decades he’s been practising falconry, Al Ketbi said the sport is more costly than profitable.
“The blood of a strong bird is rare, and they come at a high price.”
He couldn’t recall how much he spent on his 17 falcons that compete in various contests across the country, but he said there were instances when had to pay more than Dh100,000 for the Pure or Garmousha breed falcons. There are other breeds, like tebe’, that could range between Dh25,000 and 30,000.
“Before I purchase a bird, I examine its every feather down to every single detail - its head, face and spine,” he added.
Al Dhafra Festival falconry contests are organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, Abu Dhabi Falconers Club and Abu Dhabi Sports Council to support local falconers and encourage them to continue raising and protecting falcons.
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Haneen Dajani is special correspondent in Abu Dhabi with over 15 years of reporting experience. She’s also a passionate athlete, full Ironman finisher, and mountaineer who loves to embark on unusual challenges.