Doha, Qatar – April 05, 2026 – Kristen Vanderveen (USA) delivered the standout performances on the final day with three victories of the the Qatar Equestrian Federation Cup as the 2026 Doha Equestrian Tour season came to a close at Al Shaqab. The Longines Arena hosted the grand finale, the €325,000 QEF Cup Grand Prix CSI 5* deciding the feature class of the weekend and confirming the final series standings.
In an outstanding performance across the final day, Kristen Vanderveen (USA) completed a remarkable hat-trick of victories, crowned by success in the €325,000 QEF Cup Grand Prix CSI 5* aboard Bull Run’s Jireh, in which she produced a double clear in 81.92 and 44.07 seconds.
“Doha Equestrian Tour has been an incredible experience for me. It’s my first time in Doha, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I brought a lot of horses, and they all really developed throughout this entire Tour. And it was special to get to finish the Tour with a big win here at the end.” – Kristen Vanderveen (USA)
Bassem Mohammed (QAT) also delivered an important home result, finishing second in the CSI 5* Grand Prix with Wathnan Issem to place Qatar on the podium in the weekend’s feature class.
“I was happy with my horse’s performance today and with myself. My horse did one of the best rounds since he’s been with me. From the beginning of the Tour, I also had a few new horses, and I finished the Tour with five Grand Prix horses at the highest level.” – Bassem Mohammed (QAT)
Abdullah Alsharbatly (KSA) closed the season with another strong performance, finishing third in the CSI 5* Grand Prix with Skorphults Baloutendro and confirming his consistency at the highest level throughout the Tour.
“My horse jumped amazing today. He is a super horse, always consistent and always doing his best. But that’s the sport, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I tried my best today, but finished third, which is still good.” – Abdullah Alsharbatly (KSA)
As the 2026 season drew to a close, the Tour also looked ahead to its next chapter, with the 2027 edition set to begin on December 30, 2026. Reflecting on the season and the road ahead, Sheikh Talal bin Khalid Al-Thani (QAT) Assistant Deputy Director of the Doha Equestrian Tour, said:
“I would like to congratulate all the winners on the podium in today’s Grand Prix, Kristen Vanderveen, Bassem Mohammed and Abdullah Alsharbatly, as well as the overall winners of the Doha Equestrian Tour 2026 standings. I would also like to extend a special thank you to the team behind the Doha Equestrian Tour for making this competition possible, and especially to His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani for his continued support of the sport and his role in helping it grow into the future. We hope to welcome all these riders back again next year, along with even more international, regional and local riders for the 2027 season.”
Final Results – €325,000 QEF Cup Grand Prix CSI 5*
1) Kristen Vanderveen (USA) & Bull Run’s Jireh – 0 / 0 – 44.07
2) Bassem Mohammed (QAT) & Wathnan Issem – 0 / 0 – 44.13
3) Abdullah Al Sharbatly (KSA) & Skorphults Baloutendro – 0 / 4 – 43.52
Source: Press Release from Doha Equestrian Tour
Photos: © DET / Lukasz Kowalski
Related
Discover more from JUMPER NEWS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
