Dutch Rider Jur Vrieling Clinches CSIO5* Longines Grand Prix Qualifier

The highly anticipated Emirates Jumping Cup kicked off in spectacular fashion, setting the tone for an electrifying four days of top-tier show jumping at Al Forsan International Sports Resort. The Abu Dhabi Police Band officially opened the event during an early-evening ceremony, featuring a breathtaking liberty display by Z7 Show Horses and a luminous light show ahead of the Grand Prix qualifier.

This year’s edition features the first qualifying round of the Longines League of Nations™ on Saturday afternoon, elevating the event to new heights as elite riders from around the world compete for a place in the final stage in Barcelona this October.

The first class of the day, the CSI2* Al Forsan International Sports Resort Cup, saw a fast-paced competition fielding 76 riders, with Osama Al Zabibi securing the top two spots with the quickest clears over this 1.3m course. The 24-year-old rider from the Syrian Arab Republic jumped Bec Hugo into first place, stopping the clock in 57.55s, and CSF Day Dreamer into second place in a time of 60.59s.  Ali Hussain Al Nowais of the UAE rounded out the top three, finishing third with Narcos vd Smidshoeve for owner Stephex Stables in 60.96s.

In the CSI2* Abu Dhabi Sports Council Classic Qualifier 1.40m Two Phase, Dimitri Natsis of Greece delivered a strong performance to take the win on the stunning 8-year-old black mare Corrie Z, owned by Nadia Abdul Aziz Taryam. Out of the 62 starters, the pair were one of 37 faultless riders to jump the second phase, finishing clear in 29.43s. Davood Pourrezaei from the Islamic Republic of Iran finished in second place riding Lamara clear in 29.66s, and the UAE’s Hazza Hamad Aldhaheri also performed well on Eloy, clear in 30.84s to claim third spot.

The CSIO5* Al Shira’aa Welcome Stakes was the first five-star event of the competition, seeing 56 riders tackle the challenging 1.45m course designed by Santiago Varela of Spain. Humaid Abdulla Khalifa Al Muhairi took victory for Al Shira’aa Stables with an impressive round, jumping Leestone Mylord Trumps clear in an impressive 59.21s. This was the mare’s first 5* win, having been purchased by H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy and Owner of Al Shira’aa Farms, as a foal and produced up to this level. Shady Ghrayeb put in a solid performance on Cabernet de Mars to finish in second place in a time of 59.93s, while Saudi rider Ramzy Al Duhami finished third aboard Addressee, clear in 61.02s.

UAE Team Chef d’Equipe, William Funnel, commented on the win, “It’s a great start to the 5* competition and I’m optimistic about the rest of the week.”

The highlight of the day was the CSIO5* Longines Grand Prix Qualifier 1.50m, where Dutch rider Jur Vrieling jumped a quick clear in 35.58s on the 10-year-old stallion Clear Heart to take the top spot on the podium. Germany’s Katrin Eckermann followed in second place, riding Iron Dames Dialou Blue PS clear in 35.73s. The UAE’s Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi followed in third place on Al Shira’aa Stables-owned Chacco Bay with a beautiful clear in 35.90s. 17 of the 50 starters jumped clear to qualify for the jump-off, however, only 14 opted to jump the second round, with the others choosing to retire.

With day one completed, anticipation builds for the second day of competition, commencing at 09:00 with the CSI2* Fatima Bint Mubarak Speed Stakes, followed by the CSI2* Abu Dhabi Sports Council Cup. The CSIO5* gets underway at 15:30 with the UAEERF Speed Stakes and culminates with the Emirates Jumping Cup presented by Longines.

Last Updated on 6 hours by News Desk 1