Jan Tops, Founder and President of Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT), yesterday praised the surging popularity of equestrian sport in Qatar.
“Clearly the game is followed by more people than it was let’s say five or six years ago,” Tops said yesterday.
“There are more young riders in the country with greater knowledge about the sport in general. We had great crowds at the final leg of the LGCT Grand Prix week in November last year. It was a fantastic atmosphere and we saw some great action,” Tops said at a media conference yesterday.
“Riding fans are following the sport more now,” he said. “The activities around the circuit, the attention via social media is more. The sport is reaching more homes,” he added.
“Through the years Qatar has built the tradition of show jumping at Al Shaqab. I am sure we are going to have a great time over the course of the next two weeks. It will be the first time that we will have two top events at the same venue,” he said.
“We are proud to see the growing numbers of international and Qatari visitors attending the show each here in Doha. It is also important to see each year the growth in popularity of the Riding Academy as more and more children are motivated to participate in equestrian sport in Qatar,” he said.
This week’s LGCT season opener will be held from Feb 28 to Mar 2 followed by CHI Al Shaqab from Mar 7 to 9.
“This time that we have two greats events lined up together. Logistics-wise it is good for the horses since they travel to Qatar only once. We are seeing that it is working out fine for everybody concerned with the competitions,” Tops said.
“Every year at our events in Doha, the quality and standards of the show continue to improve and the facilities at Al Shaqab are second to none,” he said.
“We all enjoyed the fantastic atmosphere at Al Shaqab last season as the top riders and horses in the world competed under the floodlights at the stunning arena and I am sure we will witness more inspiring performances this weekend also,” Tops added.
The LGCT this year will have 20 competitions around the world including stopovers at new venues in New York, Montreal and Stockholm.
For this week’s action, reigning LGCT champion Ben Maher will be seen in action at Al Shaqab Arena where he will be joined by two-time LGCT champion and LGCT Super Grand Prix winner Edwina Tops-Alexander and Scott Brash, the British Olympic Games star.
Home heroes Bassem Mohammed, the LGCT Grand Prix winner in 2017, and Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani will be leading the Qatari hopes over the weekend.
“It is always to ride in front of home fans. They encourage us to do well,” Sheikh Ali said yesterday.
Marco Danese, LGCT and GCL Sports Director, said yesterday: “Everybody knows that Al Shaqab is one of the best facilities in the world. Every year Doha improves the events at every level. The facilities are great. The riders are happy to be here. They enjoy the place. They will be here for two weeks. The best technicians in the sport are here.”
Mohammed Sultan Al Suwaidi, Manager, Equine Education Department at Al Shaqab, yesterday said Qatar is building its rider base by training youngsters.
“The idea of the camp started two months ago. It is not just a competition. It is about mixing culture of sports with fun times. We have 21 riders from Qatar and from different countries like Turkey, Oman, France, Germany etc,” Al Suwaidi said yesterday.
“We will create an environment of fun. We are happy doing this. We are the first institution to do something like this. We have stability in grooming young talent. We have parents who bring their children to us so that they get knowledge and experience. The young riders are enjoying a great deal,” he said.
“Al Shaqab is dedicated to providing the highest level of equestrian education programs and services. Participants of the Al Shaqab Inter-Nation Junior Camp will receive the best of our resources. The focus of this camp is not merely on improving the height a rider can clear. Besides regular lessons and training sessions, we have lined up several unique activities to help them acquire important leadership and communication skills,” he added.
