A participant at the CHI Al Shaqab celebrates at the end of the event at Al Shaqab on Saturday. Endurance, Show Jumping and Dressage contests were held over the course of four days at the global equestrian event which concluded on Saturday. RIGHT: A participant clears a hurdle during the event.
Doha: A rare opportunity for Qatar to showcase its long history in equestrian excellence, the Concours Hippique International (CHI) Al Shaqab wrapped up its final competitions on Saturday.
Over the course of four days, the global equestrian event included endurance, show jumping and dressage contests.
Having the chance to watch some of the best horses and riders in the world, spectators were delighted to attend CHI Al Shaqab.
Gabriela Prades, a Spanish fan at the event, explained her enthusiasm: “I love horse riding, so I decided to come to the event. I just watched the dressage and it was a great show. We don’t often get to go to these types of tournaments because they are difficult to get tickets to, especially in Europe. I am from Spain and I never get to go to these.”
Hosting an international equestrian competition for the first time in Qatar gave riders from all corners of the globe a chance to experience the nation’s rich culture and tradition in equine sport.
To kick off the afternoon on the last day of the event, a dressage and show jumping competition were held in Al Shaqab’s main arenas.
Made open to the public and offering a family-friendly spectator’s zone, 14 riders battled for first place in theDressage CDI4* Al Shaqab Grand Prix Freestyle event.
After an impressive win in Friday’s dressage competition, Nathalie Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein of Denmark was thrilled to secure first place yet another time.
“I am very pleased today with my win. The horse today was very nice to ride. He was great and the show was great, everything was just fantastic,” explained Nathalie.
“My music was based on French songs and had been tailor-made for the Olympics. I can still feel that the routine is not perfect and I will have to run through it a series of times before I really know it. I have only ridden it four times and I still feel like there is room for improvement, but my horse and I did really well.”
In between the dressage and show jumping competitions, equestrian enthusiasts and onlookers alike had the rare opportunity to witness a purebred Arabian horse show.
While fans had the chance to cheer on riders from all over the world throughout the four-day event, thispresentation of rare horses helped to foster Qatar’s rich equine culture and tradition.
To wrap up the evening, 41 riders competed in the Show Jumping CSI5* - Grand Prix 5*. Gerco Schroder of the Netherlands and his horse London won first prize, with Dennis Lynch of Ireland and horse All Star 5 securing a close second place.
“My experience here at CHI Al Shaqab was very special and I have been very lucky so far in my life to have ridden some very good horses, but this is definitely the best one I have ever had. I got him when he was five years old and I am very happy with him. It’s really been an incredible show here,” explained Gerco.
CHI Al Shaqab, a world-class competition, will strengthen Qatar’s global reputation as a hub for equine culture and sport.
“Having been hosted in the Middle East and Asia for the first time, this was a great opportunity for us as a nation to honour Qatar’s centuries-old tradition of equestrian excellence. We are delighted by what a huge success CHI Al Shaqab has been for us,” said Omar Al Mannai, CHI Al Shaqab 2013 Event Director.
“With Al Shaqab on its way to become a top sporting destination for world-renowned equestrian events, we are thrilled by the fact that both horses and riders alike have had the chance to experience all that we can offer. We hope to continue to host more international sporting competitions in the future.”
The Peninsula
