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Day three- CHI AL SHAQAB 2016 5 * Jumping Results

For elite Jumping riders here at CHI AL SHAQAB, this CSI5* class was the biggest challenge so far. Involving a course of 1 metre 55 and 16 jumping efforts to negotiate, the course designers had built a true championship course.

 For elite Jumping riders here at CHI AL SHAQAB, this CSI5* class was the biggest challenge so far. Involving a course of 1 metre 55 and 16 jumping efforts to negotiate, the course designers had built a true championship course.
 

 With a prize fund of 154,000 Euros - and 50,820 Euros to the winner - it was always going to be the most hotly contested so far. The first round produced just nine clears out of 36. These riders went into a “jump-off” consisting of 8 fences which were raised in height to add to the complexity. This proved the most exciting class yet at CHI AL SHAQAB 2016. Nine top league riders from seven nations kept spectators on the edge of their seats in the thrilling finale.

Kevin Staut was the first rider to go and the Frenchmen set off with a point to prove. He set down a marker with a fast time of 47.68, which looked the one to beat. Then it was the turn of Turkish rider Omer Karaevli - a popular challenger who clearly had the crowd behind him. When he delivered an even faster clear round in 46.68, the audience erupted with cheers and whistles as the rider punched the air.

But the Turk’s celebrations proved premature, as an exemplary display of horsemanship combined with a fearless performance in this exhilarating phase that delivered the goods for Gregory Wathelet to win top prize. The Belgian rider shaved almost a second off to win on 45.75 with his horse Citizenguard Taalex. The 35-year-old is no stranger to success and is currentlyseventh in the World rankings. He has competed for his country at two World Championships, four European Championships, and at the London Olympic Games.

In the first round of the class, there were some surprise retirements from top riders such as Michael Whitaker, with fence eight, a row of three imposing jumps proving a problem for a number of top competitors. A test like this requires extreme athleticism from the horse, and several fell short.

Many riders were saving their favourite horses for tomorrow’s Grand Prix, and, with an even more lucrative prize pot of 500,000 Euros on offer, the final day looks set to be CHI AL SHAQAB 2016’s crowning glory.