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Top level jumpers getting ready for CHI AL SHAQAB 2015

They looked quite relaxed on Tuesday, the world class horses are getting ready for the 5-star jumping competition of CHI AL SHAQAB 2015 on Wednesday. The ground jury and the official veterinarian inspected 86 top jumpers aside the large outdoor arena. All horses were found fit to compete. All had settled well after the travel by air or land transport.

Among the competitors: The top 13 of the Arab League, including three of the four horses that secured Qatar’s Olympic qualification for Rio 2016 and top-ranked horse and rider combinations of the World Ranking list. The current Olympic champion Steve Guerdat from Switzerland brings Nino des Buisonnets, current World Cup holder Daniel Deusser from Germany brings Cornet d’Amour and World’s No. 1 ranked Scott Brash comes with Hello Sanctos. Brash and Sanctos also were members of the Gold winning Olympic team in London 2012. They are somewhat lucky regulars in Doha, where they also won the recent Global Champions Final.

A lot of the jumping riders are coming to Doha directly from Gothenburg, where they had faced a World cup qualification. Steve Guerdat has won in Sweden and Olympic rider Marco Kutscher came third. The European Champion from Germany flew in on Monday and started the day at AL SHAQAB with working with four horses, his own Van Gogh and Balance and Christian Ahlmann’s Aragon and Caruso. Their rider, winner of the 2014 Grand Prix in Aachen, will arrive only Tuesday night to compete on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s program at AL SHAQAB starts at 9:30 with the Vaulting Freestyles, final part of their competition. Jumping is scheduled from 10:00 for two regional competitions with strong Qatari contenders. The 5*-jumpers start their competition at 15:30, aiming for a total of 127,000 Euro to be won in two classes.