Dr Cyrus S. Poonawalla was felicitated last evening at the 60th Conference of the IFHA [International Federation of Horseracing Authorities] held in Paris. The award was the Outstanding Contribution Award, presented by the IFHA Executive Council  

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chairman of the IFHA Executive Council, presented this Award in recognition of Dr. CS Poonawalla’s extraordinary dedication to and impact on global racing and breeding, in particular for the outstanding contribution as one of the members for Asia on the IFHA Executive Council, which played a vital role in increasing the influence of the region on the world stage, which has been instrumental in shaping today’s global thoroughbred industry.

Engelbrecht-Bresges acknowledged Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla as one of his most influential, loyal, and sharpest allies on the international stage where he has been the longest-serving member in the history of the ARF Executive Council, a dedication to the governance of the sport that Engelbrecht-Bresges has consistently valued.

The Award was given in the presence of Princess Zahra Aga Khan, fresh off the second consecutive victory of her homebred star DARYZ in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe who was also the keynote speaker at the Conference.

Princess Zahra delivered a speech where she emphasized that horse racing is a critical economic engine reminding the audience that a single winning horse represents the livelihood of literally hundreds of people, reinforcing how deeply breeding and racing support rural employment and local agricultural economies. She stressed the importance of educating the public on the massive amount of meticulous equine care and the high animal welfare standards that exist behind the scenes to get a single horse to the track.