EEC’S show jumping C’ship extended to 4 days
DUBAI: The Emirates Equestrian Centre (EEC) has announced that the 2019 Dubai Show Jumping Championship (DSJC) will be extended one day to a four-day competition and will be held from Jan. 16-19. This follows the phenomenal success of the 2018 running, which was elevated to CSI5* ive-star status (the apex category of competition in global show jumping) and attracted nearly 400 entries from 23 countries across three days of competition.
The CSI5*W status continues at this year’s edition of the DSJC, thus meaning the very best and topranking riders will once again be invited to compete at EEC’S stateof-the-art facility. The ‘W’ signifies that the competition offers athletes the opportunity to collect valuable qualification points for the Longines FEI World Cup of Show Jumping. The program will also include CSI2* classes. With a prize pool worth Dhs2 million, the stakes are high for the competitors of the Dubai Show Jumping Championship 2019. A total of 11 classes have been declared, including six CSI5* classes and five CSI2* classes.
The four-day Dubai Show Jumping Festival is highlighted by the Dhs612,050 Emirates Airline Dubai Grand Prix and Dhs390,682 Longines—fei World Cup Qualifier, which is a qualifier for the Dubai Grand Prix.
Some of the classes in the festival include the Dhs37,700 Emirates Equestrian Centre Two Phase and the Dhs50,400 Dubai Equestrian Club –Against The Clock- on day one, along with the Dhs46,000 Meydan—speed Stakes on day two.
The newly introduced CSI2* Meydan Grand Prix—prize money of Dhs126,000—opens the final day of competition, while The Emirates Airline Dubai Grand Prix brings the curtain down on the festival.
The finale is an intense affair across two rounds and with only the top-25 per cent of riders advancing. Challengers successful at the Dubai Grand Prix can earn valuable points towards qualifying for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Jumping.
The four-day equine festival offers fun-filled days of activity for the family at the purpose-built Emirates Equestrian Centre. The venue will be completely transformed for the event, including the construction of an outstanding food and entertainment village, which includes stalls and food trucks offering a variety of local and international cuisine. A live music band, pony rides, bouncy castles and face-painting stations all add to creating a unique and festive atmosphere.