Lazarus, Bastida win on opening day of Global Champions Tour

South Africa’s Oliver Lazarus and Spanish rider Mariano Martinez Bastida excelled as the Global Champions Tour (GCT) and 2025 Global Champions League (GCL) season kicked off at Al Shaqab’s Longines Outdoor and Indoor Arenas on Wednesday.In the CSI3* Against the Clock (1.45m) class, it was Lazarus who stood first with the best flawless routine of 58.53 seconds on bay mare Butterfly Ennemmel, followed by Kuwaiti Ali al-Khorafi in 58.90 seconds astride chestnut mare Karaat, while Bastida, riding bay gelding Belano vd Wijnhoeve Z, took the third podium place with a time of 58.91 seconds.Bastida, meanwhile, emerged winner in the CSI3* Two Phases Special (1.35m), clocking 32.64 seconds on bay stallion Quark de Preuilly Z.The Spaniard was followed by Qatari rider Ibrahim Yousuf al-Mahmoud, who astride bay gelding Qataro van het Texelhof, clocked 33.19 seconds. Another home rider Sultan Salem al-Nuaimi, on bay gelding Cethys de Vernay, finished third with a time of 33.77 seconds.The CSI1* Against the clock (1.20m) class saw Kuwaiti Hussein al-Kharafi stood first with a time of 62.09 seconds on chestnut mare Miss’s Blue S Z, followed by Saudi Khaled al-Hady in second place with 62.69 seconds on chestnut gelding Doremi du Flot Z, while Qatari rider Hussein Ali al-Kaabi came third with a time of 63.39 seconds astride bay mare Contenta della Verdina.The CSIJ-B Two Phases Special (1.20m) class had Qatar’s Abdullah Khalid al-Jalandani finishing on top of the podium with a time of 24.66 seconds on bay mare Irschi, followed by compatriot Mohammed bin Jassim al-Thani in second place with 25.08 seconds on bay mare Cattleya Plassay.Another Qatari rider Ahmed Jassim al-Suwaidi came third with a time of 25.34 seconds on darkbay mare Mona Lansia M.The CSI1* Two Phases Special (1.10m) class was bagged by Qatar’s Yaqoub Nasser al-Mas, who clocked the best 29.16 seconds with bay mare Aphrodite S Z. Kuwait’s Misk al-Marshoud claimed the second podium place with a time of 29.98 seconds on bay gelding Eddie, while Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Alfrayh was third with a time of 30.03 seconds on bay gelding Haskal.In the Future Riders’ competition (60cm), Khalifa Abdullah al-Sulaiti, riding Mackney Buster, came first with a difference of 0.44 seconds from the ideal time, followed by Ahmed Fahad Hamad al-Thani astride Cascade Sammy in second place with a difference of 0.60 seconds from the ideal time, while Salman Faisal al-Marri, riding Sita, was third with a difference of 0.71 seconds from the ideal time.