HE Sheikh Jassim bin Khalifa al-Thani celebrated a golden double on the fourth and final day of the Title Show in the Katara International Arabian Horse Festival after Sundown KA and Noft Alnayfat topped the championship round for mares and stallions on Saturday.

There was a double for Al Dana al-Meslemani (Al Thumama Stud) too after Maria Magdalena NWA and Jalyla AT won the junior fillies and yearling fillies championships respectively.

The Festival, which was held under the patronage of His Highness The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, was conducted and organised by Katara, in cooperation with Qatar Equestrian Federation, Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), and Qatar Foundation. The Title Show, which carried a total prize money of QAR 13mn, saw participation of top quality Arabian horses, more than 250 of them from 12 countries.

The top three from the qualifying classes, which were held over the first three days of the show, across yearling, junior and senior categories, vied for gold in respective categories on Saturday.

Both Sundown KA and Noft Alnayfat were unanimous winners of gold in their respective championships after all the 11 judges voted for the two contenders for victory.

Among the stallions, silver went to Al Shahaniya Stud's EKS Mansour and bronze to Fadi Al Shaqab, owned by Al Shaqab — Member of Qatar Foundation, with 14 and 11 points respectively.

In the mares championship, Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser al-Thani's (Al Nasser Stud) Rihab Al Nasser (12 points) edged out Baviera HVP (11 points), owned by HE Sheikh Al Qaqa bin Hamad al-Thani, by a singular point for silver medal.

Maria Magdalena NWA, winner at the 2019 World Cup in France, added yet another gold to her name when she was adjudged the junior fillies champion on Saturday with five judges giving their vote to the bay filly.

HE Sheikha Reem bint Mohamed al-Thani's Sultanah Al Shahania won silver, while Al Shaqab's Al Wazna Al Shaqab bagged bronze. The latter was tied at 13 points with Sheikh Jassim’s Emarella, but was placed higher courtesy a marginally better score in qualifying. While Al Wazna Al Shaqab had 92.67 points in her win in class 3B for three-year-old fillies, Emarella had 92.42 in her 3A victory.

 

Jalyla AT was the first gold winner of the Title Show when the class 1A topper earned the votes of six out of the 11 judges in the yearling fillies championship. Last month, the bay filly had finished with bronze among the filly foals in the Qatar national show.

Second in the qualifying class behind Jalyla AT, Al Shahaniya Stud's Namah Al Shahania won silver, ahead of Al Shaqab's Rafeef Al Shaqab.

Guy Jamar's Muranas Nader won gold in the Junior Colts Championship with a near unanimous decision that saw 10 out of the 11 judges marking the 2020 European Championships runner-up for the win.

Al Shaqab's Hader Al Shaqab won his second straight silver in the championship round, having finished runner-up in the Qatar national show last month. Sheikh Jassim’s Wadee Aljassimya took bronze.

Kaheel Stud's AG Nobel Rafee won gold among the yearling colts, ahead of Sheikh Nawaf’s Areeb Al Nasser. Ghaith Al Shaqab won another bronze for Al Shaqab.

Winners in the yearling championships earned a prize money of QAR 250,000, with silver medallists getting QAR 150,000 and bronze medallists QAR 100,000.

In the junior championships, gold medallists received QAR 800,000, silver medallists QAR 430,000 and bronze medallists QAR 250,000.

The top three in the senior championships received QAR 1,000,000, QAR 600,000 and QAR 300,000 respectively.