Fourteen European based dressage riders boarded planes in Frankfurt and Brussels today to fly to Doha, Qatar to compete at the invitation only 2013 Al Shaqab CDI 4* on 29 - 31 March 2013. Their horses were shipped in a cargo plane from Amsterdam to the Middle East on Monday 25 March 2013.
Organized by Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the 2013 CDI Doha is held alongside a CSI 5* show jumping competition at the prestigious Al Shaqab equestrian centre, which was founded in 1992 by the Sheikh. The 100 x 60-metre indoor arena is the centrepiece of the stunning 980,000 square metre horseshoe-shaped complex. It is within this fully air-conditioned, approximately 6,000 seat stadium that the world’s finest dressage riders will converge to battle it out for glory over four days of world-class competition.
The original plan was to invite the top 15 riders of the FEI World Dressage Ranking List, but previous commitments and show plans led to several withdrawals. Nevertheless, the 2013 CDI Doha still boasts an interesting field of competitors. It will be the first time that so many top European riders are competing in the middle east.
The competing dressage riders are:
- Kristina Sprehe - Donnerball
- Peter Borggreve - Laureus
- Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein - Digby
- Lisbet Seierskilde - Raneur
- Silvia Rizzo - Donnerbube 2
- Gonçalo Carvalho - Rubi
- Joyce Heuitink - Wup
- Anna Paprocka Campanella - Daiquiri
- Morgan Barbancon - Heimliche Liebe
- Laurens van Lieren - Ulysses la Haya
- Patrik Kittel - Toy Story
- Minna Telde - Don Charly
- Dorothee Schneider - Kaiserkult
- Henri Ruoste - Don't Forget
“The event shall engage, inspire and educate the community about the fascinating variety of horsemanship – another key stone in AL SHAQAB’s mission to establish itself as a global leader in breeding and show, equestrian arts and equine welfare," said Fahad al Qahtani, the director of Al Shaqab.
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