The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar - Reigning champion Ben Maher of Great Britain will join the world’s best riders at the opening round of the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) which kicks off in front of a huge global television audience today.
Former champion Bassem Mohammed and Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani will headline Qatar’s entries on the opening day of LGCT at the three-day event to be held under lights.
The 2019 season starts at Qatar’s iconic Al Shaqab Arena where Maher - a London Olympic Team gold medallist with Tripple X - will also aim for the maximum along with the likes of Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander, Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum, Great Britain’s Scott Brash and Bassem.
Bassem, the 2017 LGCT Grand Prix winner in Doha, and Sheikh Ali will be joined by last week’s Amir’s Golden Sword champion Faleh Suwead Al Ajami and Khalid Mohammed Al Emadi at the first of 20 events to be held worldwide.
Al Ajami, who considers LGCT President and Founder, and GCL Co-Founder Jan Tops to be his greatest career influence, last week guided Carport, 13, to win Qatar’s biggest show jumping event.
Sheikh Ali, the 2014 Asian Games Team gold medallist with Vienna Olympic, said: “We will work hard in order to be the best. Our objective is to be among the best. We already have a calendar of six months in front of us. We have to look at the horses. The events we have to look at are also important. These are important weeks and months. We have to be physically fit to take the workload.”
The 36-year-old Qatari said competing at LGCT remained his top priority.
“LGCT is world famous - it includes the best riders in the world and participating in this event allows us to continue to improve. We cannot elevate our level if we don’t compete against the best, so it is very important for our team to do this,” Sheikh Ali said on Tuesday.
“As a Qatari team we are interested in the GCL as it is not possible to participate in many team competitions and to have team spirit is very important for us,” he added.
The Doha leg - held in November up until last year - is starting the hugely popular series with the world’s leading riders aiming for glory at their ‘dream venue’.
LGCT and GCL Sport Director Marco Danese said the riders love coming to Doha.
“This is one of the best facilities in the world - every year we improve a little bit the conditions; not only the beautiful stadium but behind the scenes everything is really perfect for the horses and riders,” Danese said at a pre-event press conference.
“All the facilities for the horses are amazing this is really important because it means the best horses and riders in the world are happy to be here and are able to enjoy the high level of sport. We can guarantee the best conditions in the sport,” he added.
Tops was just as eloquent in his praise of Al Shaqab Arena.
“I am very happy to be in Doha - we call this our second home. We have been here for many years and have a great relationship with (Al Shaqab and the Qatar Foundation). Everyone is watching the start of the season to see which horse and rider combinations are on form (in the LGCT and GCL Championship),” Tops said.
“The focus (from around the world) is on Doha and this amazing facility,” he added.
When asked about the Global Champions League (GCL), Tops said: “This year the teams are stronger than ever. On top of that we have the success of the GC Playoffs in Prague (last December), which is an exciting new concept for the riders.”
Among those to be aiming for Grand Prix glory on Saturday, Maher will be joined by fellow Britons Brash, Harry Charles and Emily Moffitt. Dutch riders Bart Bles, Kim Emmen, Frank Schuttert, Maikel van der Vleuten and Jur Vrieling will also be among the ones threatening the elite of the sport.
Former winner in Doha Germany’s Beerbaum will have the company of compatriots Christian Ahlmann, Daniel Deusser, Hans-Dieter Dreher, Christian Kukuk and Philipp Weishaupt at the three-day season opener. French star Kevin Staut will headline a strong group of four including Roger-Yves Bost, Simon Delestre and Julien Epaillard.
Australia’s Edwina, a 44-year-old with vast experience, will clearly be one of the ones to look out for. Edwina, the first rider to amass over €1m in prize money competing on LGCT, will look to get cracking at the season’s first event at a venue where she has ridden many times.
“...Can’t wait till the shows begin...,” Edwina tweeted prior to arriving in Doha.