Al Thamer Stud’s Sultana Al Thamer clinched golds in this round, with two remaining legs of the tour to go.
Two Qatari-owned horses claimed gold at the end of the Valkenswaard leg of the Global Champions Arabians Tour (GCAT) on Sunday.
Sultana Al Thamer, a bay yearling filly horse owned by Qatar’s Al Thamer Stud, strode to the lead in the Yearling Fillies competition, securing 20 points and bagging the €50,000 top prize.
In the young male horse division, Al Shaqab also took the reins of victory with Afreen Al Shaqab, a grey yearling colt horse, winning gold at the Yearling Colts competition.
At GCAT, each entrant is judged for its type – head and neck, body and topline, legs and movement – with a maximum of 20 points up for grabs in each category. The final score is determined by excluding the highest and lowest score awarded by the judges and totalling the remaining scores.
Joining Sultana on the Yearling Fillies podium on the Dutch leg of the tour was fellow bay yearling filly Teha Al Shaqab, owned by Qatar Foundation’s Al Shaqab equestrian centre, winning third place.
In the Junior Fillies class, Aljumail Stud’s TM BELLA, a grey filly, made it to third place and was awarded the €30,000 prize.
At the Senior Mares competition, Al Shaqab’s Aijana horse ranked in third place. Rhan Al Shahania, a bay stallion, owned by Qatar’s Sheikha Reem M K Al Thani, also clinched bronze among his Senior Stallions competitors.
The Dutch leg was further highlighted by the presence of other Qatari royals, such as Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Stride to the finish line
Having started in Doha in February before striding to Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Cannes, the Dutch leg marked the third-to-last showcase of this year’s tour.
The competition now heads to Rome in September and is set to culminate for the finale in Riyadh this November.
Sultana Al Thamer’s first-place finish in Valkenswaard has elevated her ranking to 78 points, while fellow Valkenswaard gold medallist Afreen Al Shaqab now has 80 points, often coming out on top in his division.
Qatar’s Faleh Mohammed HA Al Nasr, the Chairman of the GCAT, said that the competition is an opportunity to celebrate “the Arabian horse’s majestic beauty and rich heritage, fostering international collaboration and cultural exchange.”
