The third season of Longines Hathab — Qatar Equestrian Tour, which resumed earlier this month after a long break forced due to the outspread of the pandemic, will finally conclude this weekend. The organisers – Qatar Equestrian Federation and Al Shaqab – have done an excellent job in conducting 10th and 11th legs of the series in a safe environment. Now the 12th and final leg, which will be a three-day affair starting from today at the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s (QEF) Indoor Arena, is set for a thrilling finish with overall titles up for grabs in Big, Medium and Small Tour categories.
The in-form Hamad Nasser al-Qadi leads the Big Tour with 180 points and will go into the final round as a favourite. But with just seven points separating the top four showjumpers, al-Qadi will have repeat his recent form, where he has won three times and finished runner-up once.
Just three points behind is Faleh Suwead al-Ajami (177). The 2019 HH The Amir’s Sword winner won the 11th leg and will be the biggest threat to al-Qadi. Khalid Mohamed al-Emadi (175) is third, while Salman Mohamed al-Emadi (173) is fourth, with the both riders needing a victory to take the crown.
In the Medium Tour, leader Mohamed Khalifa al-Baker has a tough fight on his hands as he will try to stave off a late challenge for the title from Mohamed Saeed Haidan. Al-Baker enjoys a four-point cushion over Haidan going into the final round, but the latter has been in imperious from since the resumption of Hathab, having won the last two rounds. Ghanim Nasser al-Qadi is third in the standings but a 10-point deficit to al-Baker makes his job difficult.
In the Small Tour, Khalifa Abdulla al-Khaldi (188.5) has a seven-point lead. He is followed by Mohamed Nasser al-Qadi (181.5) and Mohamed al-Ghazali (178). Today, the event begins with Small Tour 100/115cm class at 4pm, followed by Medium Tour at 6:45pm and Big Tour at 8:45pm.
Hathab Event Director Ali al-Rumaihi was delighted with the success of the previous two rounds and hoped that the final round too will be held without a glitch. He also praised the level of the riders in the last two rounds despite them competing after a long break.
“Hathab has been a huge success despite the difficulties in organising the last three rounds. The organisers have achieved its goals set for the championship, the riders have performed exceptionally, which only shows their development in the last three years,” al-Rumaihi said.
Hathab, meaning ‘Canter’ in Arabic, is an initiative launched by Qatar Olympic Committee President HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani. Organisers aim to improve the standard of horse riding among Qatari youths through Hathab, while also encouraging the involvement of private stables and individual horse owners to increase awareness of horsemanship as part of Qatar’s history and tradition.
Overall Standings
BIG TOUR: 1. Hamad Nasser al-Qadi 180 points; 2. Faleh Suwaed al-Ajami 177; 3. Khalid Mohamed al-Emadi 175; 4. Salman Mohamed al-Emadi 173; 5. Nasser al-Ghazali 169
MEDIUM TOUR: 1. Mohamed Khalifa al-Baker 188; 2. Mohamed Saeed Haidan 184; 3. Ghanim Nasser al-Qadi 178; 4. Mohamed Hazim Abara 174; 5. Alqaqa Adel Nassar 170
SMALL TOUR: 1. Khalifa Abdulla al-Khaldi 188.5; 2. Mohamed Nasser al-Qadi 181.5; 3. Mohamed al-Ghazali 178; 4. Ali Mohamed al-Marri 161; 5. Abdulaziz Ghanim al-Nuaimi 158
Rider with their horses during the vet check on the eve of the final round of the Longines Hathab u2014 Qatar Equestrian Tour at the Qatar Equestrian Federation yesterday.
