Al Suwaidi Belgium victory strengthens the UAE rider’s European campaign after he won the six-year-old class aboard Pablo Escobar KJV.
BRUSSELS: Al Suwaidi Belgium victory delivered another encouraging result for UAE show jumping as Salem Ahmed Al Suwaidi and Pablo Escobar KJV topped the six-year-old class at an international competition in Opglabbeek.
Al Suwaidi completed the second phase of the 1.25-metre competition without faults in 34.91 seconds, securing first place in the young-horse category. The event formed part of the international show jumping programme staged in Opglabbeek from September 9 to 13.
How did Al Suwaidi secure the victory?
Success in young-horse classes requires riders to combine speed with accuracy while guiding developing horses through technically demanding courses.
Al Suwaidi and Pablo Escobar KJV delivered exactly that combination, keeping a clean score while producing the time required to take the top position.
The result adds to the pair’s strong European season. In August, Al Suwaidi and the same horse won a six-year-old Youngster Tour class in Kronenberg in the Netherlands, completing that competition without faults in 33.05 seconds.
Their latest Al Suwaidi Belgium victory therefore represents another international success for a partnership that has already demonstrated consistency in young-horse competition.
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Why are UAE riders competing in Europe?
The Belgian event forms part of the UAE show jumping team’s preparations for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
European competitions give Emirati riders opportunities to compete regularly against strong international fields while preparing their horses under different conditions ahead of major championships.
The wider UAE squad has also produced notable results during its European campaign.
Earlier in the Opglabbeek tournament, Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi won an international young-horse competition aboard Biarritz Z. Al Suwaidi and SS Ourania finished third in the same event.
Humaid Abdulla Khalifa Al Muhairi, riding Villon WH, also finished second with a clear round in another six-year-old young-horse competition featuring 42 horses.
UAE riders had previously competed at the four-star international tournament in Münster, Germany. There, Al Suwaidi and Flonflon finished fifth in the Grand Prix with one penalty point, while Al Muhairi and Foncetti Vd Heffinck placed sixth.
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What comes next for Al Suwaidi?
Attention now turns towards the Asian Games, where the UAE will seek to convert its European preparations into strong performances in Japan.
Al Suwaidi’s recent results provide positive momentum ahead of that challenge, while repeated appearances across European competitions give the UAE team valuable international experience.
With the Al Suwaidi Belgium victory adding to a series of strong performances by Emirati riders, the European campaign is providing a promising build-up to one of the year’s biggest sporting events.
Impact to expect
Momentum. Strong European results could boost confidence within the UAE show jumping team ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games while strengthening the international profile of Emirati equestrian sport.
