Ukraine win Nations Cup qualifier in Al Ain

Al Ain: Ukraine won the opening leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2014 series ahead of Qatar after a two-way jump-off against the clock at the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club on Friday.

But Qatar will still join London 2012 Olympic bronze medallists Saudi Arabia in the Furusiyya 2014 Final in Barcelona in October as the second and third teams behind Ukraine in the single qualifying event for countries in the Middle East.

Only four teams completed from the six nations in the competition. Syria finished fourth, while hosts the UAE, lying fifth after the first round, retired from round two and Jordan were eliminated in the first round.

The UAE racked up 22 points, having to add 12 from Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi (Ulme de Feugeres) and 10 from Mohammad Ghanem Al Hajri (Quote Zavaan) after Nadia Abdul Aziz Taryam’s elimination at fence four.

Last-line rider Shaikha Latifa Bint Ahmad Bin Juma Al Maktoum was foot-perfect from start to finish on Peanuts du Beaufour, but the team declined to go forward to the second round.

Ukrainian team member Ulrich Kirchhoff, who claimed individual gold for Germany at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, said: “We took a bit of a risk today [Friday] but we were able to deal with it as we have the experience. In the end we pulled it off and it was very good.”