Emirati riders deliver strong performances at Al Shira’aa-supported CSIO3* Deauville

The UAE's stars of showjumping continued to cement their place among the world's elite this weekend, producing a series of outstanding results at the CSIO3* Sotheby's International Realty Deauville as the Al Shira’aa's partnership with the prestigious French fixture continues to flourish.

The weekend began with a strong performance in Saturday’s CSIO3* Al Shira'aa Tour Grand Prix, where the squad’s depth of talent was put to the test.

Abdullah Mohd Al Marri delivered an excellent performance aboard Caen to claim third place, while Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi added another top-four finish with Chacco Bay, narrowly missing the podium after a four-fault jump-off to finish fourth.

Momentum carried into Sunday’s CSIO3* Sotheby’s International Realty Region Normandie Grand Prix where Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi and Enjoy de la Mure delivered a standout performance.

Producing two faultless rounds, the Emirati combination finished in 2nd place, just behind France's Nina Mallevaey, currently ranked world number seven, and ahead of Julien Epaillard, the world number 11.

The UAE's success extended further in the feature class, with Salim Al Suwaidi and Flonflon producing another impressive clear round to secure seventh place, ensuring two Emirati combinations finished inside the Grand Prix top ten.

The consistent performances continue to highlight the remarkable progress of the UAE programme under the guidance of Chef d'Équipe William Funnell, whose expertise in sourcing world-class horses and developing Emirati riders is producing regular success on some of Europe's biggest stages.

Commenting on the weekend, William said, "It was great to see Omar and Enjoy on great form with a double clear in the Nation’s Cup and 2nd place in the Grand Prix, following a double clear in the Lisbon Nation’s Cup and winning the Grand Prix there a few weeks back.

“We can expect to see him moving into the Top 100 Longines World Rankings and obviously this bodes well for Enjoy, which will be his horse for the World Equestrian Championships.

The results come at an important stage of the season as the UAE prepares for the FEI World Equestrian Championships in Aachen this August, where the team will bid to secure qualification for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. With Emirati riders continuing to challenge the sport's leading names, confidence within the camp continues to build ahead of one of the most significant championships in the nation's history.

Before then, the team will turn its attention to another of Europe's most iconic fixtures, the Al Shira'aa Hickstead Derby Meeting, taking place from June 18–21, where the UAE riders will once again line up against world-class opposition as Al Shira'aa's growing influence across the international showjumping calendar continues.