Ghazali edges Al Qadi to emerge as the Hathab national champion
DOHA, April 29, 2018 -In the end, the competition came to a boil and it was about controlling one's nerves and coming up with the perfect combine of the rider and his mount.
Nasser al Ghazali showed all of this as the 22-year-old galloped with aplomb and authority on his horse Quel Homme to collect 30 valuable points in the 12th and final round of the national equestrian series Hathab which concluded at the brilliantly lit indoor arena of Al Shaqab on Saturday.
Nasser, who missed the first two legs of the series which began in October 2017, has had been consistent in the last ten legs. He, however, reserved his best for the finale as he garnered the most points and in the process quelled the challenge of Hamad Nasser al Qadi, also aged 22, by three points to emerge as the Big Tour national equestrian champion.
On what was a nicely laid out course but seemingly fast, Nasser showjumped on Quel Homme with swiftness and caution alike ensuring there was no single fault clocking 76.13secs in the Table A, Two rounds with jump off (2nd Round), Art. 273.3.4.1+ 4.4+2.2 (130/140cm) class.
Hamad astride St. Lucia tried the same but clipped the obstacles twice to carry eight fault points despite a better time of 72.71secs. Haste somewhat spoiled his case.
So keen was the fight between these two riders that they were separated only by three points. While Nasser finished the final leg with 30 points, Hamad had collected 27.
The overall tally being 177 points for Nasser and 174 for Hamad. The overall third place was clinched by 24-year-old Rashid Towain al Marri, who finished 6th on Beyonce. He had a total of 171 points and 21 from the final round.
In the Medium Tour, Ahmed Mohammed al Badi on Wadi Rum D D H claimed the top spot on the podium clocking 36.44secs in the jump off, ahead of Jaber Rashid al Amri on Jazly 41.95secs. However, the national champion in this category was 25-year-old Saeed Nasser al Qadi, who withdrew from the final leg, but had excelled throughout the series bagging 187 points.
Mohammed Said Haidan, who came 4th on Applebee, was the overall runner-up with 150 points, and Mohammed Sultan al Suwaidi third with a tally of 145 points.
In the Small Tour section, 15-year-old Ghanim Nasser al Qadi claimed his rightful place as the champion bagging 27 points from the final round for an impressive overall tally of 166 points. Ghanim riding Daydreamer EC, however finished as the runner-up in the final leg.
Mohammed al Ghazali who won the final leg, however had to be contend with overall second place with 132 points. Khalifa Abdullah al Khaldi, who rode Dusty and was placed fourth, ended up as the overall third with 131 points.
Hathab, meaning"Canter" in Arabic, is an initiative of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee. Hamad bin Abdulrahman al Attiyah, President of the Asian and Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF), termed the first edition of Qatar's national equestrian championship Hathab -- as a resounding success.
He pointed out that the"championship has achieved its goal and will be developed for the better in the next edition. "The success has been due to the efforts of all and thanks to those who contributed to the championship including the volunteers, organisers and the media. Everyone played a role in excellence of the championship, which eventually culminated in the the 12th and final tour being very close and competitive.
"We are keen that the end of the tournament in its first edition is a conclusion which is consistent with its value and its success. There will be a tribute to the riders and all those who contributed to the success, and this is the least that can be offered to all," he said.
On the experience of the 11th round which was held at the western square of Souq Waqif, Attiyah said,"It was a great experience that achieved a great public follow-up to the championship and the establishment of one of the tours in the second edition in one of the outstanding places in Qatar."
The Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF) and Al Shaqab equestrian centre forged a new alliance to conduct the Hathab series which carried a total prize-money of QR1 million had begun in October 2017. The best seven results out of twelve were taken into account to decide the winners.
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