Dubai, UAE Ahmad Hamcho from Syria has been the standout performer at the Dubai Show Jumping Championship following up his Emirates Airline Two Phases win on Thursday, with success in the Gulf News Cup on Friday.
The Gulf News Cup was the highlight on day two of the Dubai Show Jumping Championship 2017 CSI***W. This class serves as the qualifier for the event showpiece — The Emirates Airline Dubai Grand Prix FEI World Cup Qualifier.
With prize money of Dh98,000 on offer the class had 44 entries, but just 36 riders, with a few including the winner Ahmed Hamcho, choosing to ride two horses each in the class.
Ibrahim Bisharat of Jordan was in second, clocking a time of 59.69 riding Bowie Z, in third was the Russian pairing of Vladimir Tuganov and Sinfonie 168.
Hamcho who won aboard Quintus 81 with a winning time of 58.68 says he is hoping for a lot more “I hope to get a hat-trick with a win tomorrow, but I am focusing more on the World Cup than the actual win in the Grand Prix, I am fifth in the current Arab League standings, and I will be trying to earn qualification points because the World Cup means a lot for me and I hope I qualify.”
Another rider with his eye firmly on the FEI World Cup is Shaikh Ali Al Thani of Qatar, the current leader of the Arab League standings. Al Thani finished 12th aboard Come Soon but says he is not disappointed with the result. “I have not brought any of my good horses. This is my fourth horse, and the plan was to ride just in the small classes and not the big.
“I have had just four months with this horse. I didn’t go fast, because he does not have that much confidence. My aim is to drive safe in the classes and collect points, because I am leading the Arab League and I need just a few more points to be sure to qualify for the World Cup.”
In the second event of the day the Class 4 Longines Speed Stakes Andres Penalosa, a runner-up in the Emirates Airlines Two Phases Class on Thursday secured top spot aboard Barcelona in a time of 54.39.
Noemi Oggioni of Italy became the first woman with a podium finish in the 2017 Dubai Show Jumping Championship, guiding her horse Payse Heutiere to second in 56.64 seconds, while Jean Grancois Rondux gave France a win completing the course aboard Triomphe de Riverland in 58.59 seconds.
The final class of the day, the Emirates Equestrian Centre Six Bars, was won by the entry from Puerto Rico, Maria Victoria Perez on Iber. The first woman to win an event in this renewal of the Dubai Showjumping Championship Perez said she was pleased with the win “This is my first win on the tour here in the UAE so it is amazing, and I am really happy.
“This is also my first win in a six bar, and my first victory with this horse who is quite new to me. Women are definitely moving up in the sport, and I hope to break into the top 100 in the rankings and represent my country in the Olympic cycle.”
The schedule for Saturday’s two classes will be the Longines Accumulator at 11:30am followed by the Emirates Airline Dubai Grand Prix FEI World Cup Qualifier at 3pm;
Gates open at 11am and admission to the show jumping is free, with plenty of entertainment for the entire family, including pony rides, bouncy castles, a horse breed parade and dressage to music.
Food trucks are parked at the venue for easy access to a variety of food and drink.
