Al Shaqab to host Amir Sword Equestrian Festival from today

The HH The Amir Sword International Equestrian Festival will be held from Thursday until Saturday at the indoor and outdoor Longines Arena of Al Shaqab. With 138 riders competing in show jumping and 14 in dressage from 28 countries, the prestigious event carries a prize pool exceeding 650,000 euros.
At a press conference held on on Wednesday, Sheikh Ahmed bin Nouh al-Thani, Chairman of the Championship Organising Committee, and Ahmed Jaber al-Mulla, the Vice-Chairman, unveiled the comprehensive schedule of events.
The opening day of the championship will witness ten event, featuring showjumping classes ranging from 120-150cm, catering to both three-star and five-star categories. There will be four classes for age groups in junior and youth categories. The competition tomorrow will have seven events for the three-star and five-star categories at a height of 120-150cm, in addition to the one-star category for future riders.
On Saturday – the final day of the HH The Amir Sword International Equestrian Festival – the competitions will commence with three rounds for the three-star category, featuring heights of 120, 135, and 150cm. Additionally, there will be four rounds for the age groups qualifying for the final of the FEI Championship for the seventh group, in cubs, juniors, and youth categories. The competitions will culminate with the three five-star events, including for the prestigious HH The Amir Sword at a height of 160cm which will be held at 12pm and carry 308,600 euros in prize money.
In a notable addition to the championship’s programme, dressage competitions will make its debut, with an aim to develop the sport in Qatar and to encourage more riders capable of competing in international events.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Noah al-Thani, Chairman of the Organising Committee, said that HH The Amir Sword Festival serves as a continuation of the remarkable success attained by this year’s edition of the Doha International Equestrian Tours. The Doha Tour, which was held last month in three legs – will continue to be organised in the forthcoming years.
He emphasised that all necessary arrangements have been meticulously completed to ensure the hosting of one of the most prestigious festivals in a manner befitting the Qatar in organising diverse sporting events and to fortify its stature on the international sporting stage.
Furthermore, Sheikh Ahmed highlighted that the HH The Amir Equestrian Festival is being organised at an international level this year, for the first time since 2016. He noted that this endeavour aligns with one of the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s most crucial strategic objectives, which is to foster the development of riders and elevate their performance levels while enhancing their expertise.
Ahmed Jaber al-Mulla, Vice-Chairman of the organising committee, emphasised that the Festival will witness the participation of 138 male and female knights, including 70 Qatari riders. Additionally, riders from neighbouring Gulf countries and European nations will also participate.
Al-Mulla said: “The festival will showcase a fierce competition for HH the Amir’s show jumping sword in the five-star Grand Prix race, and HH the Amir’s dressage sword designated for our local riders.”
“The committee organising the festival has worked to allocate a special area for the public that includes many entertainment facilities and a variety of food and drinks for all categories of the public,” he added. “The entertainment area includes a variety of options for cafes and shops, as well as organising many events that suit all age groups. The accompanying events will be held in the outer vicinity of Longines Arena at Al Shaqab, where a number of service providers, business owners and the artist community have been contracted to provide an exceptional experience to the public that demonstrates hospitality and Qatari heritage.”
On the sidelines of the press conference, a number of agreements were signed with sponsors, in the presence of representatives of the tournament organising committee and sponsors. There are various categories of tickets available for the public, starting from QR25 for adults, while entry is free for children.
VIP tickets for the Diamond, Gold, Silver and Bronze category include seats in the VIP suite in the outdoor Longines arena at Al Shaqab, a five-star menu, private vehicle entrance, and valet parking. Tickets are available online at www.q-tickets.com

Schedule
Thursday
9am: CSI3* 2 Phases Special Art. 274.2.5 (1.20m); 11.15am: CSI3* 2 Phases Special Art. 274.2.5 (1.30m); 2pm: CSI3* Against The Clock No Jump Off Art. 238.2.1 (1.45m); 4.30pm: CSI5* 2 Phases Special Art. 274.2.5 (1.40m); 5.45pm: CSI5* 2 Phases Art. 274.1.5.3 (1.45m); 7.30pm: CSI5* Against The Clock No Jump Off Art. 238.2.1 (1.50m); 12 noon: CSIY 2 Phases Special Art. 274.2.5 (1.30m); 1.30pm: CSIJ 2 Phases Special Art. 274.2.5 (1.20m); 4.45pm: CSICh 2 Phases Special Art. 274.2.5 (1.10m)

Friday
8.30am: CSI3* Against the Clock with Immediate Jump Off Art 238.2.2+245. (1.30m); 1pm: CSI3* Against the Clock No Jump Off Art. 238.2.1 (1.20m); 3.15pm: CSI3* Against the Clock No Jump Off Art. 238.2.1 (1.45m) (Prize: €28.200); 5.45pm: CSI5* Against the Clock No Jump Off Art. 238.2.1 (1.40m); 6.45pm: CSI5* Against the Clock No Jump Off Art. 238.2.1 (1.45m); 8.15pm CSI5* Against the Clock with Jump Off Art. 238.2.2 (1.50m) (Prize: €56,800)

Saturday
9am: CSI3* Against the Clock No Jump Off Art. 238.2.1 (1.35m) (Prize: €5000); 12 noon: CSI5* Against the Clock with Jump Off Art 238.2.2 (1.60m) (Prize: €308,600); 2pm: CSI3* Against the Clock with Immediate Jump Off Art. 238.2.2+245.3 (1.20m); 5pm: CSI5* Against the Clock No Jump Off Art. 238.2.1 (1.40m); 6.15pm: Against the Clock No Jump Off Art. 238.2.1 (1.50m) (Prize: €28,200); 7.45pm: CSI5* Against the Clock with Jump Off Art. 238.2.2 (1.50m) (Prize: €105,500); 11.45am: CSIY Against the Clock with Jump Off Art. 238.2.2 (1.30m); 1.30pm: CSIJ Against the Clock with Jump Off Art. 238.2.2 (1.20m)
3.15pm: CSICh Against the Clock with Jump Off Art 238.2.2 (1.10m)