Sport
Al-Suwaidi steals the spotlight with one-two finish at Al Shaqab League Finals
Al Shaqab League Finals continued at the Longines Indoor Arena in Al Shaqab yesterday, attracting a strong field of riders from across the region and a large crowd of spectators who witnessed another exciting day of competition in the season-ending event.
The second day of the finals featured the 60cm Introductory class, the Amateur 100cm class, the Future Champions 110cmclass and the Junior Champions 120cm class, with riders competing for valuable league points.
In the Junior Champions 120cm class, contested over one round against the clock, Khalid Jassim al-Suwaidi delivered an outstanding performance to claim victory aboard E.T’s QueenyZ in 44.77 seconds. He also secured second place with Isis du Genet in 47.15 seconds.
Amer Hamad al-Mansori and Just In Time were third in 47.27 seconds, followed by Abdulaziz Saoud al-Fakhroo on Falou (47.96s), Tamim Joaan al-Thani aboard I’m A Special Lady Van’T Ravennest (53.16s) and Mohammed Hamza al-Kuwari riding Irschi (56.14s).
Majid al-Hasani, Head of the Riding Academy at Al Shaqab, presented the trophies to the winners.
The Future Champions 110cm class saw Ali Omar al-Ansari and Nikita Eindeken Z take top honours with a faultless second-phase time of 23.24 seconds. Abdulaziz Jassim al-Thani and Gabbana M followed in 24.82s, ahead of Abdulla Faisal al-Mana on Kontiki Dice (25.16s).
Abdulla Ahmad Al Musafri riding Gringo finished fourth in 25.88s, while Sharida Nasser al-Kaabi claimed fifth and sixth aboard Ni-Lou van de Kranshoeve (26.41s) and Extra Pam (26.45s) respectively. Khalid Sanad al-Nuaimi, Event Director of the, Al Shaqab league awarded the winners.
In the Amateur 100cm class, Moza Hamza al-Kuwari riding Haneen topped the standings in 23.57 seconds. Layan Sultan al-Thani on Dino Bb Z was second in 23.80s, narrowly ahead of Sultan Jassim al-Suwaidi aboard Cat Ballou 27 (23.86s). Roudha Hamza al-Kuwari and Haneen finished fourth in 23.98s, followed by Alanoud Rashid al-Hajri on Beyonce (24.00s) and Mariam Abdulkarim Abed of Iraq riding Jumbo (24.99s).
Earlier, the Introductory 2 60cm class was decided by the closest of margins, with Sara Hussain al-Marri and Rose D’en Hue finishing just 0.01 seconds under the optimum time.
Qassem Mohammed al-Emadi aboard Kroaat Van Orchid’s was second at 0.03 seconds over, while Meshael Mohammed al-Thani and Malaga placed third at 0.10 seconds under. Jassim Ali Darwish on Currabawn Shadow (0.15 under), Tamim Misfer al-Qahtani riding Carnelian (0.21 over) and Dana Mabrouk Alsada aboard Chapuisat (0.26 under) completed the top six.
Ahmed Khaled al-Hemaidi, Legacy and Heritage Specialist at Al Shaqab, presented the trophies to winners of Amateur and Introductory class.
The final day of competition today will feature the Youth Champions class (135cm) alongside the Amateur (105cm), Future Champions (115cm) and Junior Champions (125cm) divisions. The season will conclude with the prestigious Al Shaqab Champions class (145cm), which will once again offer QR70,000 in prize money.
With league standings determined through a cumulative points system, final is expected to play a decisive role in crowning this season’s champions after a series of closely contested stages throughout the campaign. Organised by Al Shaqab the league has established itself as one of the region’s leading platforms for showjumping development.
By bringing together riders across multiple age groups and performance levels, it provides a professional competitive environment that helps refine skills, identify emerging talent and promote equestrian culture while preparing the next generation of champions.