The International Falcon Breeders Auction (IFBA) has witnessed a historical event when a rare falcon was sold at a record SR270,000, during the second night of the direct auction held at the Saudi Falcons Club (SFC) in Malham, North of Riyadh, in which the most expensive falcon bred by Saudi breeders was auctioned, it was reported Sunday. The falcon, bred at Al-Aradi's Farm in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has seen intense competition on the occasion. It weighs 1105 grams, is 17 and a half inches long, and 16 and three quarters inches wide. The auction, which took place Saturday, was awarded to the Saudi falconer Moteb Munir Al-Ayafi for SR270,000, who revealed that he will call it "Raghwan," and that he aims to participate in (Al-Mazayen competitions for local breeding) "falcon beauty pageant", which gives the owner of the most beautiful falcon a prize of SR300,000. Al-Ayafi said that he inherited the profession of falconry from his family, adding that he has won championships in Horse Beauty contests, and seeks to compete in the 4th edition of King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, which is the largest event of its kind and has set a world record in the Guinness World Records twice in a row. Meanwhile, the SFC has announced the timetable of its upcoming events which will be held in the SFC's headquarter in Malham during this year 2021 to serve all falconers in Saudi Arabia and around the world. The SFC said that the events meet the needs and desires of the falconers, and seek to achieve its goals aiming at the development and innovation of the falconry, adding that the IFBA is the first of these events and was kicked off last Thursday in the presence of the leading breeders from 14 countries. The IFBA will continue its events until Sept. 5. The SFC will conclude its 2021 events with the 4th edition of King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, which is the largest event of its kind in the world and has set a world record in the Guinness World Records twice in a row in terms of the number of participating falcons. — SPA
