Emirates Show Jumping
Championship from Thursday

The Ghantoot Polo and Racing Club will play host this month to the annual Emirates Show Jumping Championship which will be held from April 23 to 25, 2009, in their picturesque premises in Abu Dhabi.

The three-day championship, organized by the Emirates Equestrian Federation, will be celebrating the tenth year with a host of activities, for which the Ghantoot Club provides an ideal venue. The championship, which is sponsored by Dream International, media and advertising consultants, has the support of Emirates Transport, Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Al Awani General Enterprises, apart from the Ghantoot Polo and Equestrian Club, which is chaired by Sheikh Falah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The three-day festivities would include, apart from the show jumping competitions, dressage and Pure-bread Arabian horse show. In order to make the event more attractive to all members of the family, the organizers have added several other features which will entice the young and the old and all can enjoy a "Family Day'' out with fairs, magic shows, competitions, games, pony rides for children and other activities which in short will make people throng to the venue.

Taleb Dhaher Al Muhairi, Secretary General of the Federation, told media persons at the Ghantoot Club premises on Monday that the idea behind such a combination of events was to make the "families and children get entertained to the fullest.”
“Apart from the Emirates Show Jumping Championship, the three-day event will feature dressage and a horse show for Purebred Arabian ridden horses." This is the first time the latter two sporting events have been added as part of any National championship, according to Muhairi.
Atef Shawky. Head of the Show Jumping department at the Federation said competitions in Show Jumping will be held in different classes for the UAE nationals with an Open Class for all nationalities.
Salem Yasbek, Marketing Manager, Ghantoot Club, said that the Championship will provide the Club opportunities to revive certain equestrian activities once again. "We are very enthusiastic to revive the activities and this Championship will be the first of many events to be featured at the Club. "Our Chairman Sheikh Falah bin Zayed Al Nahyan is very keen that equestrian activities are held at the Club as it has facilities which match any world-class club."
Waleed Al Muhairi, Manager of Emirates Transport, said they were proud to be associated with the Championship and will be providing free transportation to interested people from different pick-up points from Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. (Call 02-6661800 for details).
The competitions will attract Category A, B, C and D riders but Championship Classes are confined to the UAE nationals only. The first day of the competitions will begin at 5 pm, second day will be at 3.30 pm and on the final day, and the competitions will begin at 3 pm.

Officials for the three day jumping championship include Ms Lisa Hareb, President, Ground Jury, Khalil Ibrahim, Ms Christina Gruber and Hassan Mousa (judges) and Atef Shawky (NF Representative).

Total prize money of Dh 235,000 has been earmarked for jumping events which have been divided as follows:

The Ridden Purebred Arabian Showing classes will be held on April 23, 2009 and will begin at 5pm. The competitions will feature mares and gelding as well as for stallions with special prizes for Best Novice entries in each category. Classes will be judged on manners, performance, conformation, quality and presence and suitability of horse to rider and attitude. Officials for this showing classes include Ms Lucinda Sims (judge), Ms Michelle Woolmer and Ms. Jaki Wicham and Mr. Neil Abrahams ((stewards) and Ms Caroline Kettie (scorer).
The Dressage Championship will see competitions in six different classes from class 1 to 6 and held under different sections of A, B and C and begin at 4 pm.. Officials for the Dressage include Ms Lucinda Sims, Ms Joanne Ivimey and Ms Denise Vertigen (Judges), Ms Wendy Boyd, Ms Caroline Kettle and Ms Marianne O'Connell (Writers), Ms Yolanda Delport, Ms. Lottie Johns, Ms Min Al Hajri, Ms Jodie Oakes, Ms. Fran De Benedictis and Mr. Neil Abrahams (Scorers and Stewards).
Muhairi was confident a combination of various equestrian activities in one common venue will attract a huge crowd and will become a memorable event.