Doha, January 31 (QNA) - HE Chairperson of the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) Sheikh Thani bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani crowned the winners of the top three places in the Grand Prix of the fourth round of the inaugural HH the Father Amir Equestrian Prix, which concluded on Saturday at the Longines Arena at Al Shaqab. The event featured a selection of the world's best riders and offered prize money exceeding €3.3 million.
In the Grand Prix, a five-star class competition with jumps at a height of 160 cm and a jump-off, British rider Scott Brash took first place with a time of 52.97 seconds. French rider Mأ©gane Moissonnier finished second, while Swiss rider Nadja Peter Steiner came in third.
The final day of the Grand Prix round kicked off at the Longines outdoor and indoor arenas of Al Shaqab – a member of Qatar Foundation – with the Grand Prix competitions in three categories. The main outdoor arena hosted the Grand Prix for the three-star (150cm) and five-star (160cm) categories, while the indoor arena hosted the Grand Prix for the one-star category at a height of 130cm.
In the five-star 150cm category, British rider Harry Charles took first place with a time of 32.02 seconds. Portugal's Duarte Seabra came in second, while Germany's Philipp Weishaupt finished third.
Saudi rider Abdullah Al Sharbatly won the Grand Prix title in the three-star 150cm class with a jump-off, achieving a time of 34.73 seconds. He finished ahead of Germany's Janne Friederike Zimmermann, who came in second, while Germany's Philipp Weishaupt took third place.
In the three-star 140cm class, Italian rider Emanuele Gaudiano shone, securing first place with a time of 54.45 seconds, followed by American Kristin Vanderveen in second place, and Brazil's Marlon Modolo in third.
In the three-star 130cm class, South Africa's Oliver Lazarus took first place, while Egypt's Abdullah Haitham came in second, and Qatar's Ghanem Nasser Al Qadi finished third.
In the Star category, Qatari rider Ali Omar Al Ansari won the Grand Prix title at a height of 130 cm, ahead of Egyptian rider Mohamed Farid and Qatari rider Mohammed Yousef Al Jaber.
Estonian rider Meriel Isok also won first place in the Star class at a height of 120 cm.
In the Junior category at a height of 110 cm, Hala Al Rashid won first place, while Qatari rider Ali Khalid Al Obaidli took second place.
In the local class at a height of 100 cm, rider Al Qaqa'a bin Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani won first place.
Executive Director of the Doha Equestrian Tour Khalifa Al Attiyah confirmed that the HH the Father Amir Cup achieved remarkable success in its first edition, noting that it marked a strong start to the 2026 Doha Equestrian Tour, with the participation of more than 400 riders representing 38 countries across four rounds full of competition and excitement.
He explained that this success was the result of integrated organizational efforts and fruitful cooperation between various relevant parties inside and outside the State of Qatar, noting that the championship included four international rounds for the one-star and five-star categories, in addition to rounds dedicated to juniors and youth, and a number of rounds qualifying for the finals of the seventh group of the International Equestrian Federation. (QNA)