Doha [Qatar], April 16: Qatar's Saad Ahmed Al Saad delivered a standout performance to win the CSI U-25 Special Two Phase class on the opening day of the FEI Group VII Finals at the Longines Arena at Al Shaqab on Wednesday.
Riding Craquante de Mazin, Al Saad produced two flawless rounds to clock 33.01 seconds and secure first place in the 135cm class, which featured 19 participants with 13 advancing to the placings. Saudi Arabia's Abdulaziz Fahad Aleid finished a close second aboard Q Layen in 33.24 seconds, while the United Arab Emirates' Saif Owaida Mohammed Alkirbi took third place riding Hui Buh 21 in 33.72 seconds.
The top six finishers were crowned by Sultan Mohammed Al Yahyaei, President of Regional Group VII of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI).
Earlier in the day, the four-day championship began with the junior class featuring fences set at 110cm. A total of 21 riders qualified for the next individual round, while teams from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia progressed to the next stage of the team competition. The qualifiers were honoured by Engineer Lahdan Al Buainain, the venue manager for the championship.
In the Junior 120cm class, 23 riders delivered clear rounds in the individual competition to advance to the next round. Teams representing the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait took part in the team event for the same class. The qualifiers were honoured by Abdullah Al Qashouti, Marketing and Communications Manager for the championship.
More than 100 riders from across the region are competing in The FEI Group VII Finals for junior, youth and senior riders, who qualified through the 2025-2026 equestrian season. The total prize purse for the event is €318,000.
Source: Qatar Tribbune