Ahmed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Encyclopedia
Prince Ahmed bin Salman was a member of the royal family
of Saudi Arabia
and a media
executive who also was a major figure in international Thoroughbred horse racing
.
Born in Riyadh
, Prince Ahmed was the third son of the Governor of Riyadh Province, Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz. He was highly Westernized
as a result of his American
education at the University of California, Irvine
and his subsequent role as the principal partner of The Thoroughbred Corp.
through which he raced horses in the United States and the United Kingdom
.
In his native Saudi Arabia, Prince Ahmed went into business, eventually becoming chairman of Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), a media company with branch offices in London
, England
.
and eventually his manager of racing operations, Prince Ahmed began racing under the name Universal Stable until 1994 when he created The Thoroughbred Corporation. In 1999 Prince Ahmed won the Epsom Derby
with Oath
and in 2002 fulfilled another dream by winning the Kentucky Derby
with War Emblem
. Prince Ahmed is one of only four men to have raced both a Kentucky Derby winner and an Epsom Derby winner. The others are John W. Galbreath, Michael Tabor
, and Paul Mellon
.
in Riyadh. He was survived by a wife and five children, including triplets
.
The Prince was apparently much liked in American horse racing circles. Friend and trainer Bob Baffert
said he "was like a kid, just a big, happy kid who lived for his horses." D. Wayne Lukas
, another trainer who worked with the Prince, said "He is sorely missed".
claimed that Prince Ahmed bin Salman had had ties to al-Qaeda
and had advance knowledge of the September 11, 2001 attacks
on the United States. The story was strongly denied by his family pointing out that he in fact loved America, spent a great deal of time at his home there in Bradbury
, and invested heavily in the American horse racing industry. His friends in American racing stated their knowledge of him and his attitudes made it impossible to believe the allegations.
House of Saud
The House of Saud , also called the Al Saud, is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia and one of the wealthiest and most powerful dynasties in the world. The family holds thousands of members...
of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and a media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
executive who also was a major figure in international Thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
.
Born in Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, Prince Ahmed was the third son of the Governor of Riyadh Province, Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz. He was highly Westernized
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
as a result of his American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
education at the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
and his subsequent role as the principal partner of The Thoroughbred Corp.
The Thoroughbred Corp.
The Thoroughbred Corporation is a Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding operation established in 1994 by principal partner Prince Ahmed bin Salman of the Saudi Arabian royal family...
through which he raced horses in the United States and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
In his native Saudi Arabia, Prince Ahmed went into business, eventually becoming chairman of Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), a media company with branch offices in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Involvement in horse racing
With his U.S. college friend Richard Mulhall as his horse trainerHorse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
and eventually his manager of racing operations, Prince Ahmed began racing under the name Universal Stable until 1994 when he created The Thoroughbred Corporation. In 1999 Prince Ahmed won the Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
with Oath
Oath (horse)
Oath is a retired Thoroughbred race horse, bred in Ireland and trained in the United Kingdom, best known for winning the 1999 Epsom Derby. He was injured in his next race and never ran again. He is currently an active sire in India....
and in 2002 fulfilled another dream by winning the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
with War Emblem
War Emblem
War Emblem was the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2002. His Derby time was 2:01.13. Victor Espinoza was his jockey for the Derby, never having seen the horse until the morning of the race. War Emblem, who went off at 21-to-1 odds, gave trainer Bob Baffert his third Derby...
. Prince Ahmed is one of only four men to have raced both a Kentucky Derby winner and an Epsom Derby winner. The others are John W. Galbreath, Michael Tabor
Michael Tabor
Michael B. Tabor is a businessman and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses.-Thoroughbred racing career:...
, and Paul Mellon
Paul Mellon
Paul Mellon KBE was an American philanthropist, thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder. He is one of only five people ever designated an "Exemplar of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame...
.
Death
Prince Ahmed bin Salman died unexpectedly at age 43 of heart failureMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in Riyadh. He was survived by a wife and five children, including triplets
Multiple birth
A multiple birth occurs when more than one fetus is carried to term in a single pregnancy. Different names for multiple births are used, depending on the number of offspring. Common multiples are two and three, known as twins and triplets...
.
The Prince was apparently much liked in American horse racing circles. Friend and trainer Bob Baffert
Bob Baffert
Robert A. "Bob" Baffert is an American horse owner and trainer, whose horses have won three Kentucky Derbies, five Preakness Stakes, one Belmont Stakes and two Kentucky Oaks. He graduated from the University of Arizona's with a Bachelor of Science degree. -Early career:Bob Baffert began his...
said he "was like a kid, just a big, happy kid who lived for his horses." D. Wayne Lukas
D. Wayne Lukas
Darrell Wayne Lukas is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S...
, another trainer who worked with the Prince, said "He is sorely missed".
Alleged involvement in 9/11 attacks
In his 2003 book Why America Slept, author Gerald PosnerGerald Posner
Gerald Posner is an investigative journalist and author of several books, including Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK which explores the John F...
claimed that Prince Ahmed bin Salman had had ties to al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
and had advance knowledge of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
on the United States. The story was strongly denied by his family pointing out that he in fact loved America, spent a great deal of time at his home there in Bradbury
Bradbury, California
Bradbury is a small, affluent city in the San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below Angeles National Forest. Bradbury is bordered by the city of Monrovia to the west, and Duarte to the south and...
, and invested heavily in the American horse racing industry. His friends in American racing stated their knowledge of him and his attitudes made it impossible to believe the allegations.