Abdullah Alsharbatly & Diriyah Dazzle in the €105,500 HRH Princess Lalla Amina Grand Prix CSIO 4*-W

Rabat, Morocco – October 09, 2026 – The second week of competition continues in Rabat with the CSI 2* and CSIO 4*-W. In the day’s highlight event, the €105,500 Grand Prix CSIO 4*-W – 1.55m, Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Alsharbatly claimed victory aboard Diriyah. France’s Olivier Perreau (FRA) and Switzerland’s Edouard Schmitz (SUI) completed the podium.

Following Thursday’s qualifying class, 46 horse-and-rider combinations lined up for the – HRH Princess Lalla Amina Grand Prix CSIO 4*-W – 1.55m, contested over two rounds. They faced a challenging course designed by Spanish course designer Santiago Varela (ESP).“When designing this Grand Prix, I naturally had the Nations Cup in mind, but also the differences in experience and ability among the competitors,” he explained. “Nevertheless, this is still a 4* competition, with all the demands that come with it. In the end, I’m delighted with the number of clear rounds, which stands at nine. Looking back, the time allowed was perhaps a little tight, but I don’t think it had any impact on the final result. We’re ready for Sunday!”

It wasn’t until the 13th combination entered the arena that the clear-round jingle was heard at Dar Es Salam, thanks to Germany’s Harm Lahde (GER) aboard Gsi Sir Dominator. Five other riders followed suit: Brazil’s Pedro Grandi Backeuser (BRA) aboard La Vie en Rose, Italy’s Roberto Previtali (ITA) with Contrario-Blue, Switzerland’s Edouard Schmitz (SUI) and his trusted partner Gamin Van’T Naastveldhof, France’s Olivier Perreau (FRA) aboard Himalaya du Temple, and finally Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Alsharbatly (KSA) with the fantastic Diriyah.

Among the 12 combinations who qualified for the second round, Alsharbatly proved the fastest, stopping the clock at 50.83 seconds.“I’m very happy with today’s victory. My mare was exceptional once again,” said the winner. “I’d like to thank the organisers for the quality of this event. We’ve been given such a warm welcome, and it’s a pleasure to be here.”

France’s Olivier Perreau (FRA) finished second aboard his nine-year-old mare Himalaya du Temple (51.65 seconds), while Switzerland’s Edouard Schmitz (SUI) took third place with Gamin Van’T Naastveldhof (52.01 seconds).

Final Results – €105,500 HRH Princess Lalla Amina Grand Prix CSIO 4*-W – 1.55m

1) Abdullah Alsharbatly (KSA) & Diriyah – 0 / 0 – 50.83

2) Olivier Perreau (FRA) & Himalaya du Temple – 0 / 0 – 51.65

3) Edouard Schmitz (SUI) & Gamin Van’T Naastveldhof – 0 / 0 – 52.01

Source: Press Release (edited) from the Morocco Royal Tour

Photo: © Morocco Royal Tour / C. Bedouet

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