BEERBAUM TAKES TOP HONORS ON EXCITING SECOND DAY OF CHI AL SHAQAB 2019

March 8, Doha – An enthusiastic crowd was treated to a thrilling second day of action at CHI AL SHAQAB 2019, the signature event of Al Shaqab, member of Qatar Foundation.

It was a day of triumph for Ludger Beerbaum of Germanywho emerged victorious in the CSI 5* Showjumping 1.60m event with Jump-off. Beerbaum cleared his obstacles in 43.74 sec with 0 faultsearning 48.345€. Commenting on his win atAl Shaqab’s state-of-the-art equestrian venue, an exuberant Beerbaum said: “My horse, Chiara 222, has been doing this for 16 years and has a lot of experience here at Al Shaqab itself. She loves it here and I think that counted in my favor. I’m very happy with the result. I’d like to enjoy this moment, but I’m also looking forward to the Grand Prix.”

Steve Guerdatof Switzerland,who wonthe CSI 5* Showjumping event in the 1.50m, earned his victorywith a time of 67.26 secwith 0 faults, winning 12.625,00 €.

Guerdatsaid:“It was nice to win. It was a nice class. I was quite lucky that a lot of riders were faster than me but had one down. So, I did not have to take too manyrisks. I managed to save a little bit of my horse’s energyfor the Grand Prix and still win a class. It was good for me.I’ve been to Al Shaqab many times before. The facilities are great. It’s very good for the horses, and the ground is good. The organization is perfect.”

In theDressage CDI 5* Grand Prix earlier in the day, a display of elegance, poise, and style clinched first place for Minna Telde from Switzerland. Telde and her gelding,Isac, achieved the victory with a total points haul of 71.543.

Excited about her win, Telde said: “It’s amazing! I’m so thrilled that Isac performed well in this arena where he had shown some tension earlier. But he adapted. He stayed serene and did well and for that I am very grateful. This is my second time at Al Shaqab. I participated in the first edition of CHI AL SHAQAB. The arena is amazing, the stables are very nice and so are the surfaces for the horses – it’s all very horse-friendly.”

The day’s activities started with participants in the Para Dressage competitiondemonstrating their riding skills based on their grades of disability.

Grade 1 winner Katja Karjalainen of Finland, riding Dr Doolitle, was overjoyed with her victory, which was achieved with a personal record performance. “I was surprised to come out on top, and of course very happy. It went very well. Al Shaqab is a very cool venue. Everything is easy to find, and this is very important to me as I’m visually impaired.”

Underpinning Qatar’s continuous efforts to train and nurture future generations of riders, the Qatar Equestrian Tour Hathab – Small and Medium Tour were also held alongside CHI AL SHAQAB.

Tickets for the third and final day of the event on March 9 can be purchased on the official Al Shaqab website, www.alshaqab.com, or from the venue ticket office.

CHI stands for Concours Hippique International or “Equestrian International Competition”, and CHI AL SHAQAB comprises Showjumping; Dressage; and Para Dressage. CHI AL SHAQAB is the first equestrian competition of its kind in the Middle East and Asia region to be sanctioned by the International Equestrian Federation. Regularly attracting the best athletes and horses from around the world since its inception in 2013, it is one of only five annual international equestrian events to showcase three or more equestrian disciplines.

Results (Rider, Country, Horse, Points, Prize Money):

Showjumping CSI5* Table A with Jump-Off 1.60m. Total Prize Money 146.500,00€

1^st Place:LudgerBeerbaum (Germany) Chiara 222. Time: 43.74, Prize Money: 48.345€

2^nd Place: Jur Vrieling (Netherlands) VDLGlasgow vh Merelsnest N.O.P. Time: 44.72. Prize Money: 29.300 €.

3^rd Place: Daniel Deusser (Germany), Calisto Blue. Time: 45.83. Prize Money: 21.975 €

Showjumping CSI5* Table A 1.50m Total Prize Money 50.500,00€

1^st Place:Steve Guerdat (Switzerland) Hannah. Time: 67.26, Prize Money: 12.625,00 €

2^nd Place:Henrik von Eckermann (Sweden) Que Bueno de Hus Z. Time: 67.63s. Prize Money: 10.100,00 €.

3^rd Place:Geir Gulliksen (Norway), VDL Groep Quatro. Time: 70.82s. Prize Money: 7.575,00 €

Dressage CDI 5* Grand Prix. Total Prize Money 25.000,00 €

1^stPlace:Minna Telde (Sweden) Isac. Points 71.543

2^ndPlace:Danielle Heijkoop (Netherlands) Badari. Points: 70.804

3^rdPlace: Henri Ruoste (Finland) Rossetti. Points: 70.522

Para Dressage:

Grade I

Katja Karjalainen  (Finland)  Dr Doolittle Gelding.Points: 74.940

Grade II

Julie Payne (Great Britain) Pandora. Points: 69.853.

Grade III

Annemarieke Roling–Nobel  (Netherlands) Doo Schufro. Points: 68.775.

Grade IV

Rodolpho Riskalla (Brazil) Don Henrico. Points: 71.626.

Grade V

Ciska Vermeulen (Belgium) Rohmeo. Points: 70.357.

Para Dressage Team Results

1^st Place: Belgium. Total Points: 418,738

Ciska Vermeulen

Kevin van Ham

Manon Claeys

Barbara Minneci

2nd Place: Netherlands. Total Points: 407,930

Nicole den Dulk

Lotte Krijnsen

Demi Haerkens

Frank Hosmar

3rd Place: Ireland. Total Points: 382,212

Tasmin Addison

Michael Murphy

Rosemary Jean Gaffney

Kate Herr-Horan

Hathab Small Tour – F&T – 1.00m/1.15m

Ghanim Nasser Al Qadi (Qatar) Fudine. Time: 60.26s

Mohammed Saeed Haidan (Qatar) Ziezo.Time: 62.20s

Nasser Al Ghazali (Qatar) What A Pleasure. Time: 62.53s

Hathab Medium Tour – Acc + Jocker – 1.20/1.30m

Achraf Oualla (Morocco) Dino Bb Z. Time: 48.47s

Jaber Rashid Al Amri (Qatar) Canavaro de Muze E.T.Time: 49.77s

Saeed Nasser Al Qadi (Qatar) Day Dreamer EC. Time: 49.99s

AL SHAQAB – A World Class Facility

Since its establishment in 1992, AL SHAQAB’s vision was to build on Qatar’s Arabian horse heritage and be a leading global centre for equine professionals while providing an engaging experience for the community. Global leadership has not only meant preserving, improving and promoting the Arabian horse breed, but also encouraging  the community in this unique, traditional cultural sport.

Today, AL SHAQAB’s impressive facilities, which are distinctively designed in the shape of a horseshoe, cover 980, 000 square metres. With a state-of-the-art Main Arena comprising both an indoor and outdoor venue capable of holding over 5000 spectators, AL SHAQAB is part of Qatar’s growing reputation on the world stage that showcases its ability to host major international sports event at the highest level.