Lord of the Rings spurs Shirin to lofty heights

Dubai: Promising UAE show jumper Shirin Mohammad Horr is living her dream after being captivated by the Hollywood film Lord of the Rings.

A member of the Emirates Equestrian Centre Shirin was in tremendous form when clinching the National Class 2 Juniors and Young Riders on Friday evening at the Gulf News-sponsored Dubai International CSI-W-Show Jumping Championship.

Shirin, 20, produced a faultless display to win in a time of 60.87 seconds.

"I want to now keep winning and competing in the higher classes," said Shirin, with a smile.

Shirin fell in love with show jumping at a very early age. "I got attracted to show jumping while watching the movie Lord of the Rings," she revealed.

"I had a farm and so I loved horses but I never rode them. I began riding horses at the age of 15 and I enjoyed every moment of it.

"From the age of 18 I started competing and it is two years since I have been taking part in competitions regularly. However, this victory has been special for me because I worked hard to win it," she said.

"I was trained under Arif Ahmad Ahli, who jumps in A class events. I learned all the aspects of this sport from him. I began by participating in small class events. Dennis was my first horse" she recalled. Shirin now competes on U-Ottie.

"This is my new horse and I have won on it many events. I have finished first in seven competitions. I have won in Sharjah as well as in Abu Dhabi and it is nice to win here too," said Shirin, who is hoping to become a dental surgeon in Ajman.

Shirin does not miss training despite her studies and having to travel a lot.

"I live in Jebel Ali but I go to Ajman for my college every day. However, every day I will make sure to reach Al Fursan Riding Centre by 6pm and train for nearly two hours. I am happy my hard work is producing results," she concluded.