The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar - Excitement is mounting in Qatar with only three days to go until the start of CHI Al Shaqab 2019, the signature event of Al Shaqab, member of Qatar Foundation.
The three-day equestrian event, which Al Shaqab is organising, kicks off on Thursday, with the appetites of Qatar’s horse enthusiasts having been whetted by the Longines Global Championship Tour (LGCT) 2019 first leg that ended on Saturday.
It’s the first time that these two world-class equestrian events are being held back-to-back in Qatar, with this being the sixth edition of CHI Al Shaqab, which is sponsored by ExxonMobil.
Several world-renowned athletes and horses will be participating in this year’s event. They include Britain’s Scott Brash, 2012 Olympic gold medallist and winner of CHI Al Shaqab 2017 CSI 5* Grand Prix (2017), Ben Maher, also from Britain and the runner-up in the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix that took place at Al Shaqab, and Edwina Tops, Australia’s Olympic-level rider with several records to her name.
Leading Qatari athletes who have been making their mark in the world of international equestrian sport have also registered to take part in CHI AL Shaqab 2019.
Proudly representing Qatar will be Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani, who placed sixth in the 2016 Summer Olympics, Bassem Mohammed, winner of the LGCT 2017 Grand Prix of Doha, Faleh Suwead Al Ajami, Khalid Al Emadi, and Salmen Sultan A M Al Suwaidi.
To ensure an ongoing festival atmosphere of fun and entertainment, Al Shaqab will continue to keep the doors to its multipurpose venue open to the public during the days leading up to the start of CHI Al Shaqab 2019.
An exciting indoor and outdoor Entertainment Zone offers an array of fun activities for children to enjoy, including pony rides, magic and circus shows, gaming areas, interactive video and virtual reality games, and F1 and horse simulators.
There will also be a food court and coffee corners, while a latte art competition started yesterday, with the winner to be crowned on Wednesday. Several leading baristas from Qatar will show their coffee creations, and the competition will also include a latte art demonstration by Jibbi Little, real name Rawirat Techasitthanet, a latte art champion from Australia.
VIP and regular tickets to attend CHI AL Shaqab 2019 from March 7-9 are available on the Al Shaqab website, www.alshaqab.com.