Nahyan bin Mubarak is crowned the winner of the Longines Grand Prix title during the Fatima Bint Mubarak International Show Jumping Academy Cup 2026 competitions.
ABU DHABI, 17 JANUARY / WAM / His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, crowned William Funnel (GB) with the Longines Grand Prix during the fourth day of competitions of the thirteenth edition of the Fatima Bint Mubarak International Show Jumping Academy Cup 2026, which is being held on the grounds of the Al Forsan International Sports Resort in Abu Dhabi.
The tournament is being held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, “Mother of the Emirates”, President of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, and under the guidance and follow-up of Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Women’s Sports Academy, President of the Abu Dhabi Ladies Club and Al Ain Ladies Club, and organized by the Fatima Bint Mubarak Women’s Sports Academy.
The coronation ceremony was attended by Her Excellency Dr. Omniyat Al Hajri, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Women’s Sports Academy, Najeeb Kiwan, Regional Director of Longines for the Middle East and North Africa, Matar Rashid bin Jabr Al Suwaidi, CEO of Al Forsan International Sports Resort, and Her Excellency Talal Al Hashemi and Shamsa Saif Al-Fahi, members of the Academy’s Board of Directors.
William Fannell’s coronation came after winning first place in the one-round competition with 145 cm hurdles, which was the final category of Friday’s program, where the British rider presented a perfect performance without mistakes, recording a time of 73.17 seconds on the horse “Equine America Billy Picador”, ahead of the Emirati Mohammed Al Ghurair, who came in second, while the Swedish Antonia Peterson Hagstrom came in third place.
Thus, Fanel received a share of the total prize money amounting to 28,200 euros, and praised the organizational efforts in supporting the growth of equestrian sports in the Emirates, saying: “I am very happy to win the Grand Prix title, and it is wonderful to achieve this achievement with my horse, Equine America Billy Picador. Since I came to the Emirates seven years ago, I have noticed a significant improvement in the level of equestrianism, and an amazing increase in the number of practitioners of this sport. The Fatima Bint Mubarak Women’s Sports Academy is making distinguished efforts in Developing the sport and creating opportunities for riders, and I believe that equestrianism will witness further growth throughout the country.”
The third day’s program witnessed the holding of three other competitions before the final coronation. In the one-round competition with the Round of Excellence, whose track was designed with 120 cm hurdles, Spaniard Agusti Sastre Caballero achieved first place, while Emirati Mabkhout Awaida Al Karbi came in second place, and Syrian Muhammad Osama Al-Zubaibi came third.
In the one-round competition with a round of differentiation with 130 cm hurdles, the Syrian rider Shadi Gharib was crowned first place, ahead of the Emirati Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzouqi, who came second, and Humaid Abdullah Khalifa Al Muhairi, who came third.
As for the two-stage competition with 130 cm hurdles, the Syrian riders, Muhammad Mugheeth Al-Shehab and Muhammad Osama Al-Zubaibi, were able to win first and second places, respectively, while the Emirati rider, Salem Ahmed Al-Suwaidi, came in third place.
The Fatima Bint Mubarak International Show Jumping Academy Cup 2026 will bring down the curtain on its activities with the local competitions being held on Sunday.
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