Top riders to compete at Sharjah Show Jumping C’ship

The CSI3* Show Jumping Championship, organised by the Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club in cooperation with the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation (UAEERF) and under the supervision of the International Equestrian Federation, FEI, will begin on Wednesday and conclude on Feb.1.

CSI3* event is the highlight of the 20th edition of Sharjah International Show Jumping Championship which will be held under the patronage of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.

More than 200 male and female riders representing 42 countries will participate in the 20th Sharjah International Show Jumping Championship.

The riders are competing for 20 titles in the championship that runs over four days from Wednesday till Saturday in the indoor and outdoor equestrian tracks at the Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club. They will be competing for a purse worth 175,000 Euros (Dhs750,000) in total.

Sharjah will also host the FEI Groups VII Finals, with action to be seen in the children, juniors and young riders categories.

The Sharjah Championship comes just a week before the start of the FEI Jumping World Cup - Arab League – His Highness Ruler of Sharjah Cup International Show Jumping Championship, presented by Longines, which is the largest and the highest jumping event being held for the third time in a row in the covered arena at the Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club. This championship is the first of its kind at this level in the region and the Middle East in general.

The CSI5* Sharjah Ruler Cup International Show Jumping Championship will take place from Feb.5 to Feb.8.

Sultan Mohammed Khalifa Al Yahyaee, General Manager of the Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club, said: “The Sharjah International Show Jumping Championship is one of the highlights of the annual sporting calendar.

“We look forward to four days of exciting competition from some of the best horse and rider partnerships in the UAE and the wider region.

“It’s a great honour and privilege which acknowledges our presence as a major venue for equestrian sports in the world,” Yahyaee added.

The championship will also consist of a variety of non-equestrian events catering to the wider community and their families, including an equestrian exhibition with the latest in equine equipment and apparel, a heritage village, a kids’ corner with children’s games, free pony rides, various restaurants that cater to all tastes, and other entertainment programmes.

A large number of spectators are expected to visit Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club during the course of the competition and Yahyaee believes the entire family will be entertained.

“We want to invite all families and equine lovers to come and enjoy the great atmosphere during the days of the competition because it is bound to have something for everybody. The best riders will be on show and we must arrive in numbers to support our UAE teams,” Yahyaee said.

The 20th edition of the Sharjah International Show Jumping Championship is sponsored by Longines; Sharjah Sports Council, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, Al Shira’aa Stables, Sharjah Islamic Bank, Sharjah Equine Hospital, Sharjah Sports Channel, Kafalur Company, the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sharjah University City and Al Sakab Stables.