Qatari rider shines at GCT 

(MENAFN - The Peninsula) Qatar's Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani qualified for next year's World Championships as he put in an excellent performance on Friday night at the Global Champions Tour (GCT) Final at the Qatar Equestrian Federation's (QEF) main arena.

Qatar got off to a marvellous start when Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani jumped an excellent four fault round which has qualified the rider for next year's World Championships. His compatriot Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi also did well with just two rails down so that both riders finished in the top half of the order.

Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani said: "I have only just qualified so I will have to discuss the training plan but God willing, I will be able to go. I have two good horses but first I will concentrate on jumping in the Arab league of the Rolex World Cup and then I will return to be based in Belgium for the spring. Having the Global Tour here has really helped us achieve this aim and improve our sport."

Conrad Homfeld's course was very technical and included an open water jump but it was the double immediately preceding it that caused the most trouble. Out of the first 14 riders only Roger Yves Bost (Ideal de la Loge) was clear. After that another five riders joined him to make an exciting jump off for the crowds in the packed stands to enjoy.

Marcus Ehning (Plot Blue), Ludger Beerbaum (Coup de Coeur), Jessica Kurten (Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois), Daniel Etter (Peu a Peu)and Harrie Smolders (Equis Walnut de Muze) have all won more than their fair share of big prizes in recent months and all are experts against the clock.

Cannes' winner Roger Yves Bost set a good standard in the timed round with a clear in 39.39 which forced both Jessica Kurten and Marcus Ehning into making mistakes although both were faster. But Daniel Etter, encouraged by much whistling from the audience shaved almost a second off the time to show it could be done. 38.56 was the new standard and Ludger Beerbaum although up on the clock at the time, lost out by taking one more pull into the last oxer. 39.10 was still pretty smart.

That only left Harrie Smolders, who recently became a father to a little boy. Winner of three speed classes on the 2009 GCT already on his other horse, 10-year-old mare Equis Walnut de muze is no slouch either but the gallop into the last looked almost suicidal. However, the crowd pleasing move paid off as the clock stopped on 38.39 and the prize was on its way to Holland.

"Obviously I was disappointed not to make the Final but this is making up a little. As for the show, I have never been here before but I was already enjoying it, even though my week had not been so good. Now of course I really love it! As for the jump off well I knew the time could be beaten so I had to go for it, although I did come maybe a little fast to the last," he said.