Al-Kuwari wins Amir Sword for dressage; Delestre shines

Qatari rider Jassim Mohamed al-Kuwari won the prestigious HH The Amir Sword in dressage at the outdoor arena of Al Shaqab on Friday. Al-Kuwari scored 62.317 cumulative points with Leslie Ann 2 in the advanced level of dressage to claim the prestigious title. New Zealand’s Michelle Grimes was second with Givenchy Utopia after garnering 60.854 points, while local rider Asmaa Yasser Mohamed took third spot on Saligaskar with 59.512 points.
The preliminary level dressage competition was won by Sheikha Al Jawhara al-Thani with Givenchy Utopia after she secured 62.6 points. The second place went to Abdulla Khalid al-Julandani on H’amour Dcaramel Vh Bloemenhof, while Dana Omar al-Emadi took third spot with Lauries.
Meanwhile, Frenchman Simon Delestre captured the CSI5* class Against the Clock (150cm) showjumping after fierce battle with nine riders in the Jump Off.
Delestre emerged on top after registering the fastest round in 34.05 seconds with Olga van de Kruishoeve. Italian Emanuele Gaudiano was second with Conthargo-Blue in 34.44 seconds, while Sweden’s Evelina Tovek finished third with Moeboetoe V/D Roshoeve in a time 35.26 seconds.
In the CSI5* Against the Clock (145cm) class, Brazilian Santiago Lambre continued his good show with a flawless routine of 65.53 seconds to win the event on his gelding Cetano Van Aspergem Z.
He was followed by Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah al-Sharbatly on Dancing Wolf O.L in 66.26 seconds, while Jordan’s Ibrahim Hani Bisharat finished third with Happyness in a time of 68.2 seconds.
Qatar-based French rider Cyrine Cherif excelled with her skills as she partnered with Triple T Calamando Blue to top the CSI5* Against the Clock (140cm) class in 57.22 seconds.
Saudi’s Saudi Saad al-Ajmi was a close second with Great Gatsby clocking 58.03 seconds, while Qatar’s Mohamed Khalifa al-Baker claimed the third place with Etna du Chateau in a time of 62.43 seconds.
In the three-star category Against the Clock (135cm) Qatar’s Bassem Mohamed was crowned champion after finishing his round in 27.22 seconds, beating compatriot Mohamed Saeed Haidan (27.95secs). Kuwaiti rider Ali al-Kharafi finished third with a time of 29.37 seconds.
The Against the Clock (125cm) class was won by Saudi rider Nasser al-Baqami with the best time of 57.09 seconds, ahead of the Emirati Muftah al-Dhaheri, who came home in 57.55 seconds. Qatar’s Mohamed Jabr al-Nuaimi was third with 59.6 seconds.
The final class of the three-star category Against the Clock (145cm) witnessed the brilliance of Saudi Abdul Rahman al-Rajhi, who excelled flawlessly finishing the routine in 61.53 seconds. He was followed by Italian Emanuele Gaudiano (62.01 secs), while Sweden’s Evelina Tovek ended up third clocking 63.85 seconds.
Today, the final day of HH the Amir International Equestrian Festival will see three rounds for the three-star category and three rounds for the age groups qualifying for the final of the FEI Championship for the seventh group for the cubs, juniors, and youth categories.
The Festival will conclude with five-star competitions, and the finale round for HH The Amir Sword for Showjumping with Against the Clock (160cm) with Jump Off class.
The three-day Festival at Al Shaqab, member, Qatar Foundation, carries a total prize of Euros 650,000.