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Excitement mounts for the start of CHI AL SHAQAB 2019

Excitement is mounting in Qatar with only four days to go until the start of CHI AL SHAQAB 2019, the signature event of Al Shaqab, member of Qatar Foundation.

 





Doha, March 4 - Excitement is mounting in Qatar with only four days to go until the start of CHI AL SHAQAB 2019, the signature event of Al Shaqab, member of Qatar Foundation.

The three-day equestrian event, which Al Shaqab is organizing, kicks off on Thursday, with the appetites of Qatar’s horse enthusiasts having been whetted by the Longines Global Championship Tour (LGCT) 2019 first leg that ended on Saturday.

It’s the first time that these two world-class equestrian events are being held back-to-back in Qatar, with this being the sixth edition of CHI Al SHAQAB, which is sponsored by ExxonMobil.

Several world-renowned athletes and horses will be participating in this year’s event. They include Britain’s Scott Brash, 2012 Olympic gold medallist and winner of CHI AL SHAQAB 2017 CSI 5* Grand Prix (2017), Ben Maher, also from Britain and the runner-up in the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix that took place at Al Shaqab on Sunday, and Edwina Tops, Australia’s Olympic-level rider with several records to her name.
 

Leading Qatari athletes who have been making their mark in the world of international equestrian sport have also registered to take part in CHI AL SHAQAB 2019. Proudly representing Qatar will be Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani, who placed sixth in the 2016 Summer Olympics, Bassem Mohammed, winner of the LGCT 2017 Grand Prix of Doha, Faleh Suwead Al Ajami, Khalid Al Emadi, and Salmen Sultan A M Al Suwaidi.
 

To ensure an ongoing festival atmosphere of fun and entertainment, Al Shaqab will continue to keep the doors to its multipurpose venue open to the public during the days leading up to the start of CHI AL SHAQAB 2019. An exciting indoor and outdoor Entertainment Zone offers an array of fun activities for children to enjoy, including pony rides, magic and circus shows, gaming areas, interactive video and virtual reality games, and F1 and horse simulators.
 

There will also be a food court and coffee corners, while a latte art competition started yesterday (Sunday March 3), with the winner to be crowned on Wednesday (March 6). Several leading baristas from Qatar will show their coffee creations, and the competition will also include a latte art demonstration by Jibbi Little, real name Rawirat Techasitthanet, a latte art champion from Australia.
 

VIP and regular tickets to attend CHI AL SHAQAB 2019 from March 7-9 are available on the Al Shaqab website, www.alshaqab.com.

SIDEBAR - What is CHI (Factbox)
 

CHI (Concours Hippique International – International Equestrian Competition) is the official title awarded by the FEI (Fédération Equestre Internationale / International Federation for Equestrian Sports) to international equestrian competitions with three or more equine disciplines.
 

Created in 2013, CHI AL SHAQAB is one of only five CHI competitions worldwide and the first and only equestrian event of its kind in the Middle East and Asia region.

Al Shaqab – A World Class Facility
 

Since its establishment in 1992, Al Shaqab’s vision was to build on Qatar’s Arabianhorse heritage and be a leading global center for equine professionals, whileproviding an engaging experience for the community. Global leadership has not onlymeant preserving, improving, and promoting the Arabian horse breed, but alsoencouraging the community in this unique, traditional cultural sport. 

Today, Al Shaqab’s impressive facilities, which are distinctivelydesigned in theshape of a horseshoe, cover 980, 000 square meters. With a state-of-the-art MainArena comprising both an indoor and outdoor venue capable of holding over 5000spectators Al Shaqab is part of Qatar’s growing reputation on the world stage thatshowcases its ability to host major international sports event at the highest level.