Wathnan Riders Make a Strong Impact on the 2026 European Show Jumping Season
- Victories, Grand Prix success and a strong season for Wathnan’s show jumping riders
Mdmar – Europe
The Wathnan Jumping Team continued to expand its presence on the international stage throughout the 2026 European season, competing across France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Sweden and Slovakia, and progressing to five-star events and the Longines Global Champions Tour.
A number of riders delivered notable results aboard Wathnan horses, underlining the team’s increasingly strong presence at the highest levels of international show jumping.
By mid-September 2026, Faleh Suwead Al Ajami, Bassem Hassan Mohammed and Abdel Saïd had emerged as some of the most prominent riders competing with Wathnan horses, alongside experienced Italian rider Juan Carlos Garcia and several Qatari riders involved in Wathnan’s European programme.
Bassem Mohammed – Major Victory in Saint-Tropez
Qatari rider Bassem Hassan Mohammed has been one of Wathnan’s standout performers on the European circuit, producing one of the season’s biggest results when he guided Wathnan Issem to victory in the CSI4* Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez, France, on June 7.
The victory came over a 1.55m course, with Bassem and Issem producing a winning jump-off time of 34.55 seconds, finishing ahead of France’s Cyril Bouvard and Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts.
The FEI officially recorded the victory among Wathnan Issem’s major results during the 2026 season.
Grand Prix Success
Saint-Tropez was not Bassem’s only major success.
Earlier, on May 30, he won a CSI2 Grand Prix over 1.45m* with Wathnan F One USA at Grimaud–Saint-Tropez.
The pair also finished third in a 1.40m competition and ninth in another 1.45m Grand Prix.
Bassem continued to compete with Issem at the highest international level, progressing to CSI5* competitions and the Longines Global Champions Tour in Valkenswaard.
On September 4, the pair finished third in the second round of the Global Champions League team competition over 1.55m.
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Issem became one of Bassem’s leading horses during the season, alongside Wathnan Chakball, Wathnan Zodiac and Wathnan F One USA, among others.
Faleh Al Ajami – Consistency at Major Events
Faleh Suwead Al Ajami also enjoyed an intensive European season with a strong group of Wathnan horses, headed by Wathnan Quatro and Wathnan Qapella, alongside Wathnan Gimondi and Wathnan Quality Street.
One of his most notable European results came on August 2, when he finished sixth in the CSI4 Grand Prix in Valkenswaard* with Wathnan Quatro over a 1.55m course.
The pair completed the opening round without faults before collecting four penalties in the following phase.
Faleh also secured second place with Wathnan Qapella in an international competition in Valkenswaard, with the pair producing clear rounds in both the first round and the jump-off to finish behind Dutch rider Jur Vrieling.
Extensive European Programme
Faleh’s European campaign included appearances in Saint-Tropez in France; Westmalle, Lier and Opglabbeek in Belgium; and Kronenberg and Valkenswaard in the Netherlands.
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He competed over courses ranging from 1.40m to 1.55m, as part of a programme designed to maintain the readiness and competitiveness of his horses throughout the summer.
His European activity continued until shortly before the Asian Games, with appearances in Opglabbeek in September aboard Wathnan Gimondi and Wathnan Quality Street.
He finished fifth with Quality Street in a 1.25m competition on September 13.
Abdel Saïd – A Major Five-Star Victory in Cannes
The European season also produced outstanding results for Wathnan horses with Abdel Saïd.
The biggest achievement came in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Cannes in June, when Abdel Saïd guided Wathnan Zasou vom Claashof to victory in the CSI5 Grand Prix over 1.60m*.
Only four combinations from a field of 40 qualified for the jump-off.
Abdel Saïd delivered a clear round in 39.44 seconds, finishing almost two seconds ahead of Ireland’s Michael Pender.
The result marked the pair’s first Grand Prix victory together on the Longines Global Champions Tour.
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At Aachen, Abdel Saïd and Wathnan Bonne Amie finished second in the second qualifying competition for the Rolex Grand Prix in May, producing a clear jump-off in 39.59 seconds.
Wathnan Quaker Brimbelles Z also performed strongly with Abdel Saïd during the season.
The pair were part of the Belgian team that finished second in the Nations Cup at Falsterbo over 1.60m in July, before later competing at the World Championships in Aachen, where Abdel Saïd finished 11th individually.
Strong Presence on the Longines Global Champions Tour
The Longines Global Champions Tour and the Global Champions League (GCL) provided some of the most important stages for Wathnan horses during the season.
Abdel Saïd competed as part of Istanbul Warriors, while Bassem Mohammed represented Doha Falcons.
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This meant the riders did not compete under the Wathnan name as a single team in the GCL standings, but Wathnan horses and riders were strongly represented across different teams in the global championship.
At Valkenswaard in early September, Abdel Saïd helped Istanbul Warriors secure third place in the second round of the team competition, while Bassem Mohammed and Wathnan Issem also recorded third place in their respective round of the competition.
This presence reflected a broader programme that regularly placed Wathnan horses in competitions over 1.55m and 1.60m, facing many of the world’s leading riders.
Juan Carlos Garcia Part of the European Programme
Experienced Italian rider Juan Carlos Garcia also featured in Wathnan’s European programme during the summer.
Among his strongest results with Wathnan Marvin was a second-place finish in a CSI3 1.40m competition in Westmalle, Belgium, on June 28*.
The pair later also appeared in international competitions in Šamorín.
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Garcia brings extensive international experience to the programme, with the FEI recording more than 2,000 international starts and 100 show jumping victories during his career.
His experience adds another dimension to Wathnan’s sporting programme and its work to develop and prepare a broad range of horses.
A Deep Roster of Wathnan Horses
One of the defining features of Wathnan’s 2026 European season has been the large number of horses competing under the Wathnan name and colours.
The programme has not relied on just one or two leading horses, but has included a broad group featuring:
Wathnan Issem, Wathnan Quatro, Wathnan Qapella, Wathnan Chakball, Wathnan F One USA, Wathnan Zodiac, Wathnan Gimondi, Wathnan Quality Street, Wathnan Zasou vom Claashof, Wathnan Quaker Brimbelles Z, Wathnan Bonne Amie and Wathnan Marvin.
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Wathnan Cornet also appeared with Qatari rider Khalid Mohammed Al Emadi, finishing third in a CSI3* 1.40m competition in Šamorín on August 13.
The result provided another indication of the depth of horses and riders involved in the wider Wathnan programme.
A Season Combining Results with Preparation for Major Championships
Wathnan’s European results up to September 16, 2026 highlight a strategy extending well beyond targeting victory at a single event.
The programme has included competitions at two-star, three-star, four-star and five-star level, progressing to 1.60m Grand Prix classes, the Longines Global Champions Tour and major international fixtures such as Aachen and Falsterbo.
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The standout moments so far have included Abdel Saïd and Wathnan Zasou’s victory in the CSI5 Grand Prix of Cannes; Bassem Mohammed and Wathnan Issem’s triumph in the CSI4 Grand Prix of Saint-Tropez; Bassem’s Grand Prix victory with Wathnan F One USA at CSI2* level; and Faleh Al Ajami and Wathnan Quatro’s sixth-place finish in the CSI4* Grand Prix of Valkenswaard**, alongside a series of other strong placings in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Sweden.
For Qatari riders Faleh Al Ajami and Bassem Mohammed, the European circuit has carried additional significance this year.
Their extensive European campaign directly preceded a new mission with the Qatar national team at the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, allowing months of high-level competition in Europe to serve as important preparation for the continental challenge in Japan.
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The “Mdmar” website which was Founded by Khaled Makhlouf in 2007 for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
