Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed pulls out of Al Shira’aa International Horse Show after injury to mare Peanuts de Beaufer

Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed of the UAE, on-board Peanuts De Beaufour during the equestrian team final at the Arab Games in Doha, on December 20, 2011. Marwan Namaani / AFP

ABU DHABI // Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed, a multiple medal winner in showjumping for the UAE, has ruled herself out from qualifying for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games.

She cited injury to her 13-year-old mare Peanuts de Beaufer as the reason for withdrawing from the CSI 4-Star Grand Prix event of the inaugural Al Shira’aa International Horse Show that got underway on Wednesday. The event will conclude with the Dh1 million grand finale FEI CSI 4-Star showjumping event on Saturday at the Al Forsan International Sports Resort.

The competition in the elite division has drawn 142 local and international riders locally hoping to earn qualifications to next year’s World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina.

“For the moment, I don’t have the horse to jump the big classes until my mare that won the 5-Star Grand Prix in Ghantoot in 2015 gets better,” Sheikha Latifa said. “I have a lot of young horses and as of now the objective is to bring them up to the required levels.”

Sheikh Latifa, winner of a silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games and a Team bronze in 2006, will put to test her two seven-year-old horses over the four days of competition in Abu Dhabi.

Commenting on the Al Shira’aa Horse Show, she said: “It is a fantastic event because you have very good facilities here. To have a show like this for everybody from children to seniors is great.”

Sheikha Latifa backed Emirati riders to achieve success in the sport in the coming years, saying: “I think we have a lot of talented riders to shape up our future.

“We have quite a lot of them taking part in the international circuit but I think the national level needs to go up another level to match what we have at the international level.”

Two riders with the ability to qualify for the WEG from Saturday’s Grand Prix Sheikh Majid Al Qassimi and Abdullah Al Marri, according to the Dubai Royal.

“They both have horses that can reach that level,” she said. “You need to strike a good combination to be successful. Good horses with good management with a good team. Unless you have all of that it won’t work.”

Meanwhile, Clement Boulanger of France on Lenna Z bagged the CSI 4-Star One Round against the clock on the opening day of the competition.

Emirati Mohammed Hasan Al Masawi on Detroit WV was second and Tina Lund of Denmark on Calvara took third.

Another CSI 4-Star One Round against the clock was won by Emirati Moftah Al Dhaheri on Al Yamamah.

Ahmed Saber Hamcho of Syria on-board Chesterfield finished second ahead of Colombian Andres Penalosa on Tenor De Rouhet.

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