DESERTARTICLE BY HENRY DALLAL

My quest in life is to haveadventure through travel andexperiencing differentcultures of the world, and ofcourse, always with acamera.To support this habit,one destination became thelovely country of Oman.Hence the development of mynew book ‘Desert Pageantry’.

PAGEANTRY

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DESERT PAGEANTRY

A seven year journey into this beautifulcountry, its people, the nature, and ofcourse, the horses of The Royal Cavalry. Tothen be able to share the moments that Ishot on film with others is a particular joy tome. Hence giving an exhibition or amultimedia presentation using images andmusic in a stirring audio visual experiencegives me particular enjoyment. I washonoured to share these and some stories

when invited to The Anglo Omani Societylast year.I am very proud that the book Desert

Pageantry,which has been translated intoArabic as well, has been awarded a goldmedal for most outstanding design by theIndependent Publishers’ Book Award in2013. The award was given at a ceremony inNew York out of a pool of over 5,000 coffeetable books.

The Massed Mounted Band includedfemale musicians.

Beating the Retreat on Horse Guards Parade.

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The Royal Cavalry ofOman is close to theheart of His Majesty

Sultan Qaboos,whose vision is tokeep the equine

tradition alive amonghis countrymen.

A very proud moment for me was in 2012,when The Royal Cavalry was invited toparticipate in the Diamond Jubilee Pageantat Windsor Castle for Her Majesty TheQueen’s Diamond Jubilee, to see femalemembers of the Royal Cavalry on the drumhorses with the kettle drums, leading themounted band during the procession. Iknow of no other mounted regiment thatcan boast of having female mounteddrummers that would lead the mountedband.Since I was familiar with The Household

Cavalry etc. through my book Pageantryand Performance, I suggested to TheHousehold Cavalry and the GOC of TheHousehold Division and The Royal Cavalryof Oman, to stay on in the UK following theDiamond Jubilee Pageant, and participatefor the first time in Beating Retreat on HorseGuards Parade. This idea became a realitywith a kaleidoscope of bright colours of TheRoyal Cavalry to dazzle the crowds duringthree nights’ performance at Horse Guards.This included The Royal Cavalry escortingThe Household Cavalry on one day duringthe guard change at Horse Guards Parade.On another morning, The Royal Cavalry

paraded in front of Buckingham Palace as arehearsal to Horse Guards. I don’t thinkthroughout history there has ever been thismany horses and their riders in traditionalOmani saddles parading in front ofBuckingham Palace and Horse GuardsParade with both rider and horse withoutshoes.

The wonder and splendour of a 1,000-horsejamboree exploded into my senses during myfirst visit to Oman. From the gleaminguniforms and traditional dress of the riders, tothe equally ornate Arabian horses galloping,trotting, dancing and marching past, in timewith the band’s triumphant music, it wascaptivating to experience. This dressrehearsal foreshadowed the magnificentAnnual Royal Horse Racing Festival to takeplace on New Year’s Day at Maidat Al-Adiyat,home of The Royal Cavalry of the Sultanateof Oman. With the waters of the Sea ofOman as a backdrop, the smell of burningfrankincense mingled with the sea air andthe excitement of the galloping steeds, I wasoverwhelmed as I tried to absorb theenormity of the pageant with my camera.

The Omanis ride past Buckingham Palace.

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DESERT PAGEANTRY

So began my relationship with Oman,which over the next seven years was toinvolve many such memorable moments asI endeavoured to experience andphotograph as much of The Royal Cavalryand the country as possible. It created forme a connection with the country which Ilook forward to continuing and embracingin the future.Oman is a dramatically beautiful country

with a rich history and culture, as well as acountry noticeably comfortable in its ownskin. It has historically been a nation ofseafarers, trading horses across the seas asreported by Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo.Hence I should not have been surprised tohear, in addition to a range of Arabicdialects, Swahili, Baluchi, Persian, Urdu andEnglish commonly spoken.The Omanis value the rich traditions

passed down through the generations, whileembracing the challenges of modernity. Itwas a thrill to be able to travel into the heartof the country to experience equinepageantry and desert racing, the traditionswhich The Royal Cavalry oversees, and tosee tribal communities gathered in theirhundreds to proudly participate in ancestralgames and displays.The Royal Cavalry of Oman is close to the

heart of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, whosevision is to keep the equine tradition aliveamong his countrymen, in part, by thewelcome and encouragement that The

Royal Cavalry offers to children. Womenparticipate actively alongside men – andOman boasts the world’s first and probablyonly all-women mounted band – in additionto mounted pipe bands, both on horsebackand camels.One of many highlights for me in the

creation of my book was the RoyalEquestrian and Camel Festival, which isheld every five years on New Year’s Day,and in 2011 came shortly after the 40thanniversary of His Majesty’s ascent to thethrone, in 1970. It was a joy to watch theOmani and international participation in 27different displays. Every rehearsal had its

excitements, not merely from aphotographer’s perspective, but through thesheer thrill of being there, weaving in andout among the 2,011 members of themassed bands to capture that specialphotograph during the programme’s finale.Oman provided me with cherished

memories, from the vast Empty Quarter tothe craggy mountains of the Hajar andDhofar. Peering several thousand feet downa deep, multi-layered chasm in theMusandam Peninsula; to stumbling into anabandoned shepherd’s hut built into therock, with remnants of life from anything upto a thousand years ago, all gave me a sense

One of many highlights for me in the creation of mybook was the Royal Equestrian and Camel Festival,which is held every five years on New Year’s Day.

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of being a voyeur into a bygone era.Another, almost mystical, experience was avisit to Salalah, in Dhofar, Southern Oman,during the annual khareef, or monsoon,which coincided that year with the holymonth of Ramadan. Thick, low-hangingclouds, mist and rain transform the drycountryside into a verdant oasis. The lushlandscape, fog and mist rewarded me withsome of my favourite photographymoments.I will always remember galloping on the

beach in the early morning as part of thedaily training of the endurance team, andencountering fishermen who had laid outtheir freshly caught fish on the sand for sale.During the creation of this book,

photography continued a major transitionfrom film to digital technology. I continue touse slide transparency film, although thispreference is becoming more difficult tosustain. All the photographs in this bookwere taken with film, with the exception ofthose of the Royal Equestrian and CamelFestival, where I used digital cameras tocapture images which would otherwisehave been too dark.To fully portray The Royal Cavalry, it is

important to provide a glimpse of the beautyof the country which is the wellspring of theregiment’s traditions. Images of nature,tribes, village life and the hugely variedlandscape, interspersed throughout thebook, will, I hope, provide a window into thespirit of The Royal Cavalry and thesplendour of The Sultanate of Oman. �

I will always remember galloping on the beach in the early morning as partof the daily training of the endurance team, and encountering fishermenwho had laid out their freshly caught fish on the sand for sale.