Saudi brothers shine

[Bureau Chief]

Saudi brothers shine


14 January 2008


DUBAI — The second day of the Dh500,000 Dubai Show Jumping Championship 2008 was turned into a family affair after Saudi Arabian brothers Khalid and Fahad Al Eid took two of the three events.

Khalid, who was second in the feature event on the opening day of the Championship on Thursday, went one better by taking Friday’s highlight at the Emirates Equestrian Centre.

The rider scooped the first prize of Dh18,750 in the Gulf News Cup (Class 4), a qualifier for the World Cup Class, thanks to the efforts of his mount Alriyadh.

He put in a faultless round in a time of 70.16s to take victory, and go one better than his second place in the previous day’s Dubai Equestrian Club Two Phases.

Khalid finished more than a second clear of Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi, of Qatar, who came home in 71.39s. The EEC’s Abdullah Al Marri fared best of the UAE’s riders, finishing sixth.

Earlier, Fahad Al Eid won the Dh45,000 DOM Speed Class on Safaanh in a time of 69.73s

The first event on Friday was the second National Class of the competition, the National Juniors and Young Riders, which was won by UAE rider Sheikh Ali A Al Qasimi.

Riding his own horse, Cash Only, Al Qasimi produced a clear round with an impressive time of 60.18 seconds, a full eight seconds faster than second place winner Ahmed Nabil Falaknaz on board Look At Me 2.

Organised by the Dubai Equestrian Club and kindly sponsored by Gulf News, Longines and DOM International, the DSJC started on Thursday and climaxes today with the DEC Grand Prix.