Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, Vice-President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, crowned the Saudi rider, Mashari Al-Harbi, with the title of the sixth round, “Grand Prix Run”, with a height of 1.45 meters, at the end of the Riyadh International Show Jumping Championship, which was held on the grounds of the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center. It is the first show jumping championship to be held in Saudi Arabia in a closed field.
Al-Harbi succeeded in snatching the title of the half, following recording a time of 35.61 seconds. The second came the Thai rider, Jakana Born, with a time of 36.58 seconds. The rider, Saad Al-Ajmi, came third with a time of 37.52 seconds. Prince Abdullah bin Fahd bin Abdullah, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Equestrian Federation and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Equestrian Sports Company for Events, crowned the knight, Abdullah Ibrahim, with the title of the fifth game, following recording a time of 25.04 seconds, with a height of 1.40 meters. The rider, Saleh bin Amira, came second, who recorded a time of 26.66 seconds. The rider, Bader Al-Fard, came in third place with a time of 26.79 seconds.
And 81 male and female riders from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Algeria, Norway, Italy, Bahrain, Thailand and Lebanon participated in the tournament, which was sponsored by Ready, the Sports Track, and Al-Diriyah Company.
The organization of this tournament comes as part of the efforts of the Saudi Equestrian Federation to test readiness for the largest event represented in Riyadh hosting the 2024 World Cup Show Jumping and Dressage Championship, as hosting is the first in the Middle East.
Al-Juaid: The equipment impressed us
Samir Al-Juaid, the designer of the hurdles of the Riyadh International Showjumping Championship, stressed that the experience of designing hurdles “chorus” in closed halls is completely different from designing for open fields.
“We have taken into account that 95 percent of the riders and horses are participating for the first time in an indoor tournament,” he said.
He added, “I am very amazed at the level of large equipment in the Riyadh International Championship, which is a preparation for the World Cup of Show Jumping and Dressage in April 2024. A great effort made by the Saudi Equestrian Federation. I express my thanks and appreciation to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federation and to all those responsible for the success of the championship.” Al-Juaid expressed his happiness at being among the organizers of this tournament, and said, “Thank God, I found during this period that witnessed a quantum leap in equestrian sport in Saudi Arabia.”
Tony: The competition is tough
Lebanese equestrian Tony Assaf described Riyadh’s preparations to host the major sporting event represented in the World Cup of Show Jumping and Dressage in April 2024 as very wonderful.
He said, “What I witnessed in the Riyadh International Championship in terms of organization, preparations, and the presence of the most prominent barrier designers indicates a great work for the major championship.”
He added, “Thank you to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Equestrian Federation for hosting the riders at the high level.”
He pointed out that the fifth round in the Riyadh International Championship was not easy, and the competition in it was strong, and the barriers and their design were very impressive. He continued, “You need the participating riders to focus more and prepare the horses to turn and jump barriers.”
Ibrahim: The experience is not easy
The Saudi rider, Abdullah Ibrahim, confirmed that the experience of racing inside a closed hall was not easy at all for him and his horse, as it is a new experience, but it is fun and powerful. The Saudi knight, who won the fifth round title in the Riyadh International Championship, expressed his great happiness at winning the final day of the tournament, as it was organized for the first time in a closed hall in Saudi Arabia.
He said: “The designer of the round is one of the most famous international designers, and there is always difficulty in open fields, let alone in a closed hall, where the spaces are less and the barriers are closer.”
He revealed that he chose a horse that prefers fast runs that work on the time factor, explaining, “It is a strong point for my horse.”
