Tovek grabs 1.50m class victory after thrilling jump-off

Evelina Tovek won the CSI5* 1.50m class after a thrilling jump-off during the Doha Tour International Equestrian Championship on Friday.At the Al Shaqab arena, the Swedish rider piloted the 12-year-old BWP gelding Moeboetoe v/D Roshoeve to victory as the pair flawlessly completed the course in 38.46 seconds.Abdullah Alsharbatly of Saudi Arabia followed closely in the saddle of Atome des Etisses, claiming the second spot with a time of 38.78 seconds. The duo proved to be evenly matched, as the third faultless combination, Rikke Belinda Barker of Denmark and her stallion Icloud finished in 42.79 seconds. The fastest time was recorded by Saudi’s Khaled Almobty and his mare Diana du Plevau Z, but a rail down for the pair placed them fifth.Meanwhile, Saudi riders dominated other CSI5* classes. Hangzhou Asian Games gold medallist Alsharbatly won the 1.45m class with Dancing Wolf O.L in 58.62 seconds. Frenchman Antoine Erman was second, while Austrian Gerfried Buck came third place.In the 1.40m class, Saudi’s Khaled Abdulaziz al-Eid emerged triumphant in 56.43 seconds, followed by Frenchwoman Cyrine Sharif and Jordan’s Ibrahim Hani Bisharat. In 1.45 cm class of the two-star category, Emanuele Gaudiano came first with a time of 57.62 seconds, followed in second place by his compatriot Roberto Previtali, recording a time of 60.4 seconds, while Austrian Gerfried Back came in third place in 62.89 seconds.In the 120cm against the clock, Qataris Saad Ahmed al-Saad, Mohamed Dhafi al-Marri and Faris Saad al-Qahtani took the top three places.In the Future Knights, Khaled Jassim al-Suwaidi came first in the 80 cm competition, followed by Abdullah Saleh al-Obaidli and Abdullah Ali Al Dabbagh. In the 100cm competition, Amer Hamad al-Mansouri took top spot ahead of Abdullah bin Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Tamim Ibrahim al-Hur.The third and final leg of the Doha Tour will conclude today.