Thomas Lyte are humbled to be the designers and makers of the Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup. The majesty of the trophy makes it one of equestrian’s finest – and one that truly showcases Thomas Lyte’s art.
Thomas Lyte, a Royal Warrant holder, as the silversmiths and goldsmiths to Her Majesty the Queen, are the makers of many internationally renowned trophies including the Guinness Six Nations, Emirates FA Cup, and we’re hugely proud to have handcrafted a trophy that is presented on an annual basis following one of the UAE’s most prestigious equestrian events.
The competition itself is the culmination of a week of events and marks the conclusion of the Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Festival. The race takes place over 119km at Dubai’s International Endurance City, and features some of the most well-known riders and horses in the equestrian world.
Speaking at the May 2017 launch in Meydan, Dubai, Kevin Baker, Chief Executive and Founder of Thomas Lyte said “We are privileged and honoured to be chosen to create such an iconic trophy, for this exceedingly important event in Dubai, the Crown Prince Endurance Cup. At Thomas Lyte we are exceedingly proud to have these skills that we are ensuring are here for tomorrow, not just today.”
Since the trophy’s inception, the event continues to go from strength to strength.
“The Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup is now a national celebration that attracts the participation of rides from across many different stables,” said Major General Dr. Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, President of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation.
Standing at 1m in height, the Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup is every bit as impressive and imposing as the riders and horses that compete for the trophy. The trophy is inspired by the qualities and personality of the Crown Prince of Dubai, Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, and is an amalgamation of the past, present and future.
During the design phase, Thomas Lyte brought in a fashion illustrator to ensure that we lent as heavily on a modern source as we did the age-old skills which underpin everything we do.
The handcrafted trophy, created by our team of master silversmith and goldsmiths in our London workshop is a reflection of this desire, with the Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup, using age-old techniques expertly applied by craftsmen with decades of experience, while also utilising the very latest in technology.
Spun from 13kg of solid sterling silver, the decorative artwork which adorns the body of the trophy was carried out by one of Thomas Lyte’s master chasers, using a hammer and chisel to chase the sterling silver and create a stunning effect which makes this trophy one of the most striking in the sporting world.
Once the chasing process was completed, the trophy was subsequently plated in 24 carat gold using our state-of-the-art electroplating tanks. The handles provided a stunning contrast, with their sterling silver finish sitting alongside the gold to provide the trophy with its truly modern feel. A hand-sculpted, perfect replica of the figure of the Crown Prince during a previous race sits on top of the trophy.
After almost 600 hours of specialist work in our London workshop, the trophy was handed to our quality control team for a stringent series of checks before sign-off – an undertaking as crucial as anything that had gone before it.
Thomas Lyte’s trophy was unveiled at Dubai’s iconic Meydan racecourse in March 2017, shortly before the race – one of the longest horse races anywhere in the world – celebrated its tenth anniversary.
It may still be relatively young in sporting terms but it has already established itself as one of the key events in the UAE’s equestrian calendar, with the race drawing Dubai’s hugely popular endurance season to a close.
The Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup is just one of a number of events in the horse racing calendar, with which Thomas Lyte are inextricably linked. We’re also proud to have crafted bespoke custom-made trophies for the Dubai World Cup Leading Owner; Leading Jockey and Leading Trainer and are the designers and makers of the Kauto Star Trophy.
