Text © World of Showjumping

The Emirates Jumping Cup – which features the first qualifier in the Longines League of Nations™ 2025 on Saturday – kicked off on Wednesday at the Al Forsan International Sports Resort in Abu Dhabi (UAE) and it was the Netherland's Jur Vrieling and the 10-year-old Clear Heart (Clarimo x Heartbreaker) that took the biggest win of the day, topping the CSIO5* 1.50m Grand Prix qualifier. 

With a time of 35.58 in a jump-off between fourteen horse-and-rider-combinations, Vrieling and Clear Heart took the win in the competition counting for the Longines Rankings group B ahead of Katrin Eckermann (GER) and Iron Dames Dialou Blue PS (Diarado's Boy x Chacco-Blue) in second in 35.73. The hosts' Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi and Chacco Bay (Chaccato x Heops) placed third in 35.90, followed by Wilm Vermeir (BEL) on Magic van'T Hulgenrode Z (Midas vd Endhouse x Vigo d'Arsouilles) in fourth in 35.96 and Jörne Sprehe (GER) aboard Toys (Toulon x Quidam de Revel) in fifth in 36.17. 

The second CSIO5* class of the day, the 1.45m Al Shira'aa Welcome Stakes – a competition counting for the Longines Rankings group D – went to the hosts' Humaid Abdulla Khalifa Al Muhairi and the 12-year-old Leestone Mylord Trumps (Mylord Carthago x Cavalier Royale). With a time of 59.21, they bested a field of 56 participants, ahead of Shady Ghrayeb (SYR) and Cabernet de Mars (Baloubet du Rouet x Dollar Dela Pierre) in second in 59.93 and Ramzy Al Duhami (KSA) aboard Addressee (Messenger x Chacco-Blue) in third in 61.02.