Britain’s Coupe third, Ireland’s Breen fifth as Abdel Said wins in Abu Dhabi

The Show Jumping competition in Abu Dhabi was an Arab League qualifier for April’s Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final in Paris. And while riders from the region were looking to improve their chances to earn one of the league’s three spots in the 2018 Final, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix also attracted several top international competitors, including Coupe, who is also planning to take part in next weekend’s €205,000, CSI4* Al Shira’aa International Horse Show in the Emirates — itself a qualifier for September’s World Equestrian Games in North Carolina in the United States.

Among the well-known names taking to the Frank Rothenberger-designed course in the UAE this weekend were Ireland’s Shane Breen, Sweden’s Henrik Von Eckermann, Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt and Belgium’s Jos Lansink. In total, 31 horse-and-rider combinations were on the results list, with three retiring or withdrawing.

And in the end, it was the 28-year-old Egyptian-born, Belgium-based Said, with his horse Hope Van Scherpen Donder, who had the best result of the 13 pairs that made it into the second round. Said and his mount were matched by several others with no faults in round two, but finished with the fastest time in 39.91 seconds. In second was Belgium’s Pieter Clemens with Calvino De Nyze Z, while Coupe and Golvers Hill rounded out the podium. Breen came in fifth with Can Ya Makan.

World Cup qualifying will continue over coming weeks and months, with the next Western European League competition set for Leipzig, Germany, from January 18-21.