Text © World of Showjumping

The 2024-edition of CHI Al Shaqab in Doha, Qatar, concluded on Sunday with Sweden's Olympic team champion Malin Baryard-Johnsson and the 16-year-old mare H&M Indiana (Kashmir van Schuttershof x Animo's Hallo) taking the win in the CSI5* Al Shaqab 1.60m Grand Prix presented by Longines. 

The twelve best pairs out of the 39 horse-and-rider-combinations at start moved on to the second round in this Grand Prix counting for Longines Ranking Group AA. Baryard-Johnsson and H&M Indiana set the standard when stopping the clock on 43.19, and only Jodie Hall McAteer (GBR) and Hardessa (Berlin x Kashmir van Schuttershof) were able to be quicker than the Swedish pair when crossing the finish line in 42.26 seconds. However, the last fence on the floor left the British duo seventh in the end. 

As the last pair in, Eduardo Alvarez Aznar (ESP) and his 19-year-old veteran Rokfeller de Pleville Bois Margot (L'Arc de Triomphe x Apache d'Adriers) gave it their best shot, slotting into second only 0.04 seconds behind Baryard-Johnsson – pushing Wilm Vermeir (BEL) and Iq van het Steentje (Toulon x Kannan) down to third, Pieter Devos (BEL) and Jarina J (Cicero Z x Harley) to fourth and John Whitaker (GBR) aboard Equine America Unick du Francport (Zandor x Helios de La Cour II) to fifth. 

The second CSI5* class of the day, a 1.50m with a jump-off, counting for the Longines Ranking Group C, went to Austria's Max Kühner and EIC Julius Caesar (Couleur Rubin x Cancara) ahead of Michael Duffy (IRL) and Dublin (Cascadello x Balou du Rouet) in second and Christian Ahlmann (GER) aboard Otterongo Alpha Z (Darco x Hedjaz) in third.