Al Khaili on the top in Prix Caprilli for boys at Special Olympics World Summer Games

Dubai: Sultan Saif Al Khaili picked up the first gold medal for the UAE when he triumphed in the equestrian competition for boys at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games being held in Athens.

Al Khaili, who had been training at the Emirates Equestrian Centre (EEC) under chief trainer Lilian Sternvad, was smoothly through his hurdles in the boys Prix Caprilli event late on Tuesday.

The UAE’s second rider Mohammad Zubair Al Tajjar, a silver medalist at the Shanghai Summer Games in 2007, had a bad day and was eliminated since his horse did not want to jump.