Alrajhi emerges victorious with Ventago on opening day
Doha: Abdulrahman Alrajhi led a 1-2 for Saudi Arabia on the opening leg of the Global Champions Tour at the glittering Al Shaqab on Thursday. With 32 of the world’s best riders and horses in action in the CSI5* 1.45m speed class, Alrajhi trumped his countryman Abdullah Alsharbatly to claim the day one honours.
Alrajhi aboard the head-turning 11-year-old Ventago stormed into the lead in 59: 28 seconds. In a nail-biting finish, he edged out his Alsharbatly and the spirited Dancing Wolf O.L by a mere 0.20 seconds, proving that every fraction of a second counts in the world of show jumping.
Speaking after his victory, Alrajhi said: “It is always special to win a Global Champions Tour class and even more special in Doha, especially in front of this crowd. Such an amazing facility in Al Shaqab. Honestly, I must say Ventago is on fire, he is such a great horse and I am very happy to have him and I think he made it with almost zero effort... it felt like he was just playing with the class and he won it!”
A beaming Alrajhi went on to add: “The class suited him, and of course, we had one of the best course designers in the world, Uliano Vezzani. It is a nice class to win without putting in an extreme effort, and I am thrilled with this preparation for the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha this Saturday.”
Adding to the international flair of the event, the Flying Frenchman, Olivier Perreau, clinched the third spot with Bresil de Carnaval Santa Rosa in 61:98 seconds, launching his week with style and finesse.
With a total of 15 clear rounds, the competition was nothing short of exhilarating. Mouda Zeyada on Katia and Ines Joly aboard the vibrant Faylinn de Fondcombe rounded off the top five, leaving spectators on the edge of their seats.
Notably, both Philipp Schulze Topphoff and Nadja Peter Steiner opted for a steady round, collecting time faults strategically to conserve their horse power for the high-stakes challenges ahead, hinting at the thrilling battles yet to come.
After an extraordinary first day, the GCL Championship race will kick off today. GCL Doha promises an adrenaline-fuelled spectacle with two back-to-back rounds of top-tier team show jumping, setting the stage for an epic showdown of talent, teamwork, and triumph.
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