Doha, Qatar: The organising committee of Longines Hathab – Qatar Equestrian Tour announced the schedule of the seventh season of the premier competition which gets underway at Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF) Indoor Arena tomorrow.
According to the schedule revealed yesterday, the 14-round Hathab Tour – organised and hosted jointly by Qatar Equestrian Federation and Modern Pentathlon (QEFMP) and Al Shaqab – will be held until March 30, 2024.
QEF’s Indoor Arena will host six rounds of the 2023-24 season while eight rounds will be staged at state-of-the-art Longines Indoor Arena at Al Shaqab including the final round to be held from March 28 to 30.
Action tomorrow will get underway with dressage Dressage Medium (level 1) and Preliminary (Level 2) rounds followed by Friday’s contests, which will include the two Future Rider classes (6 to 12 years and 12 to 16) along with opening rounds of Small and Medium Tours. The Big Tour will take place on Saturday after the Amateur and Open classes.
The Longines Indoor Arena at Al Shaqab will host its first round of the new season from November 30 to December 2 following four consecutive rounds at QEF Indoor Arena.
Hathab sees an increase number of competitors every season with the organisers expanding the competition by adding two more categories of future riders besides introducing the amateur category in showjumping for the latest edition.
“We are looking forward to exciting competitions in the championship. We hope that these steps will motivate every rider, male or female, to do their best throughout the Tour,” QEFMP Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of Hathab Tour Sheikh Ahmad bin Nooh Al Thani said in a statement recently.
Qatari rider Faleh Suwead Al Ajami (Big Tour), Mohammad Saeed Haidan (Medium), Sultan Salem Al Nuaimi (Small) and Maryam Ahmed Al Boinin (Dressage Level 1) were the major winners in the last season.
Launched in 2017, Hathab Tour is an initiative of H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Shaqab with an aim to produce world class talent and increase awareness of horsemanship as part of Qatar’s culture and tradition.