Hamcho saves best for last in Show Jumping

irus from Jordan ridden by Bisharat Ibrahim jumps over obstacles.

Syria's Ahmed Saber Hamcho took the spoils in the Dhs 98,000 Emirates Airline Two Phases, on the opening day of the three-day Dubai Show jumping Championship CSI*** - W (World Cup Arab League) on Thursday.
Hamcho was one of nine challengers who advanced to the second phase of the competition, and he was the last to ride the course. And Hamcho claimed that gave him the advantage, and allowed him to better the effort of Andres Penalosa of Colombia with a time of 39.20.
"It is always easier when you are last to go, because you can see what the others did, and this helped me to victory and I am really pleased. I have won this class two years ago, and last year I had the chance to win but I couldn't. So, it was really important for me to be successful this time," said Hamcho.
Second-placed Penalosa clocked 40.45, while the UAE's Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi came in third, guiding Citronella Z through the course in 44.35.
"I am happy because this is a new horse, and I wasn't expecting such a good performance. Overall though, as part of the UAE team, we always wish to be first, and in the Grand Prix, I will not be satisfied with third, I want top place," Al Muhairi said.
The competition saw a total of 30 participants, including 23 international entrants from 16 countries.
A regional highlight in the Arab League Show Jumping calendar, the Emirates Equestrian Centre hosts top-class show jumpers from around the world. The stakes are high with a total prize money of Dhs 723,000 on offer across three days of competition.
The showpiece of the Championship is the Emirates Airline Dubai Grand Prix FEI World Cup Qualifier. With prize money of close to Dh 250,000 on offer, it provides local riders with the opportunity to earn valuable qualification points for the Longines FEI World Cup of Showjumping and also the World Equestrian Games 2018.
These games are one of the key targets for the Dubai Show jumping team, as it opens the doors for Olympic qualification as well.
Defending Champion David Will of Germany looked like he was going to repeat his 2016 performance as he led the jump off, only to be beaten at the very end by the final contestant, Jordan's Ibrahim Bisharat aboard Virus. Bisharat bettered Will's time by almost three seconds, for a winning 38.64sec.