Too Hot To Trot

The BREEF (Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation) has unveiled the new Shaikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Jumping Challenge for 2013, to be held in the northern and southern governorate areas and feature all registered riders. 

For the northern governorate there will be two sections - Junior 2 and Adult 3. GP class - and for the south there will be an adults section only. Both areas will have a minimum of three and a maximum of four events/competitions, including a final.

Riders can only compete in one challenge (south or north). Each rider is allowed two horses, however, only one horse can qualify/count for points per competition and this horse has to be declared to the ground jury at the start of the competition and ridden first. 

Once the competition starts the rider cannot change his challenge horse. The starting order will be established by a draw.

Points are awarded to the rider NOT the horse/rider combination, and points won by the riders are added after each competition. Points won by riders who tie are added and divided equally. Double points will be awarded during the last competition (final). 

Points are as follows: 1st-10 points, 2nd-6pts, 3rd-4pts, 4th-3pts, 5th-2pts, 6th-1pt.

The calendar for the rest of the season is:
BREEF Show Jumping Challenge SAAR: Friday, March 1; Friday, March 22; Friday, April 12 for the final.

BREEF Show Jumping Challenge BDF Al Raffa Sakhir: Friday, February 15; Friday, March 8; Friday, March 29; Friday, April 19 for the final.

The BREEF also issued dates for their dressage events to be held at Saar Stables - March 2 and 30.

The event last Friday at Saar Stables saw the first challenge classes in action. The morning started with the Junior One class – a one round, and if riders went clear they went into a timed jump-off, with fences at 80/90cm. 

After an enthusiastic first round there were just five in the jump-off. Just two went clear and Ali A Rasool, on the talented Wabeeti, edged Hussain Dadulla, riding Murheeb, to take the first of the day’s top podium positions. Third was Maoof Al Rumaihi astride his lovely horse Zain Al Butel.

The second class was the inaugural Shaikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Jumping Challenge for the northern governorate. This was Junior 2, the fences standing at 90/100cm with one round against the clock.

The riders had nominated their challenge horses and it was ‘game on’ with 20 riders, but the course was no pushover.

Gabby Chakkos riding Dilmun Tashan took pole position. She was followed by Dadulla on Murheeb, and Georgia Sims riding Tutu took third place in both class and challenge.

The Adult 1 class attracted 40 combinations and was a fast moving class. Muslim Ali set the pace with Al Jazeera Buttons. He held the lead until Basel Al Dossari, astride Dilmun Tashan, pipped him at the post. Third place went to Stephane Dreyer astride Angel.

Next was the Adult 2 class, a two-phase competition, with fences at 100cm to 110cm.

Muslim Ali came into his own, with only his two horses claiming clear rounds over the first part of the course, he beat himself on Al Jazeera Osyna in a time of 33.85, and claimed second place on Al Jazeera Pascal in a time of 35.58. Taking the final podium place was Ali Essa riding Ashgar.

Finally, it was the first of the adult Shaikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Jumping Challenge events for the northern governorate – over one round, with riders that went clear going into timed jump-off, and fences at 115/125cm.

A second jump-off round saw five riders dexterously manoeuvre their horses around the arena, though once again Muslim Ali held court with Osyna and Pascal. Pascal claimed the top slot and Osyna had to settle for runner-up, though this worked brilliantly for Muslim, as Pascal was his challenge horse.

Taking third position again was Ali Essa riding Ashgar. They took the podium positions, though it was Fahad Tqui and Reyca who took the runners-up position in the challenge as Ali’s mount was not nominated for it as Ali will be riding in the southern governorate challenge. Abbas Al Ghuraifi took the fifth place.

This Friday will see the start of the Shaikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Jumping Challenge for the southern governorate at the BDF ground at Al Raffa Sakhir.

l Friday also saw Twin Palms Riding Centre host a Show Jumping Training Day Event, the classes were mixed for Junior and Adult.

First was a clear round with a difference, fences set at 50/60cm. Anne Koheji, astride Fine Art, took the course by storm, runner-up was Virginie Dreyer on the stunning Athos. Taking the final podium slot was Idrak Alaquel on Ecco.

The second was a clear round class with a timed jump-off for those that went clear. Kate Addison rode a skillfully  precise round on The Chief to claim first prize, with Manon Cote riding Sirocco the runner-up, and taking home third was Mariella Forward riding Otto.

The final class was another clear round with a timed jump-off and fences at 100cm for the jump-off. And taking home their second top prize of the afternoon was Kate Addison and The Chief, Rania Hanbali took the runners-up position, with Meghan Docherty and Merano taking the final podium position.

Results
Junior One: 1 Ali A Rasool/ Wabeeti, 2 Hussain Dadulla/ Murheeb, 3 Maoof Al Rumaihi/ Zain Al Butel, 4 Charlotte Gunby/ Magnum, 5 Fahad Ahmed/ Wagbah, 6 Kate Addison/ The Chief.

Junior 2 (Shaikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Jumping Challenge for Northern governorate): 1 Gabby Chakkos/ Dilmun Tashan, 2 Hussain Dadulla/ Murheeb, 3 Georgia Sims/ Tutu, 4 Aimee Keen/ Pastiche, 5 Charlotte Gunby/ Luna De Nero, 6 Maoof Al Rumaihi/ Zain Al Butel.

Adult One: 1 Basel Al Dossari/ Dilmun Tashan, 2 Muslim Ali/ Al Jazeera Buttons, 3 Stephane Dreyer/ Angel, 4 Salman Faraj/ Brushesh, 5 Jerri Taylor/ Tornado, 6 Abbas Yousif/ Argentini.

Adult Two: 1 Muslim Ali/ Al Jazeera Osyna, 2 Muslim Ali/ Al Jazeera Pascal, 3 Ali Essa/ Ashgar, 4 Yasser Al Sheekh/ Grefen, 5 Fahad Jamal Taqi/ Reyca, 6 Salman Faraj/ Brushesh.
Adult Three (Shaikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Jumping Challenge for Northern governorate): 1 Muslim Ali/ Al Jazeera Pascal, 2 Muslim Ali/ Al Jazeera Osyna, 3 Ali Essa/ Ashgar, 4 Fahad Jamal Taqi/ Reyca, 5 Abbas Al Ghuraifi/ Champagne, 6 Yasser Al Sheekh/ Twister.