H.E. Sultan AlYehyaei, board member of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation and President of the Show Jumping Committee presenting the winner of the CSIO5* Longines Grand Prix qualifier, Piergiorgio Bucci and Casalia DG. Photo © Nour Al Masri/UAEERF.
Text © World of Showjumping
This week, Abu Dhabi (UAE) hosts the first of four qualifying events in the Longines League of Nations™ 2026. The five-star action at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, also host to The Emirates Jumping Cup this week, got underway with an Italian victory in Thursday’s CSIO5* 1.50m Longines Grand Prix qualifier, where Piergiorgio Bucci (ITA) and the 9-year-old mare Casalia DG (Casall x Carthago Z) took the top honours.
With a time of 43.35 in a jump-off of fourteen, Bucci snatched the win in the competition counting for the Longines Rankings Group B from the host nations’ young Olympian Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi and Emeraude de Zabala (Emerald x Calvaro F.C.), who had to settle for second in 43.87.
Jack Whitaker (GBR) and D&H Valmy de la Lande (Mylord Carthago x Starter) completed the podium in third with a time of 43.91, while Sophie Hinners (GER) on Iron Dames Kaleni Jo (Kannan x Indoctro) finished fourth in 44.48 and João Victor Castro Aguiar Gomes De Lima (BRA) aboard Kenzo Quality Z (Kannan x Con Air) fifth in 44.90.
The second five-star ranking class of the day, the CSIO5* 1.45m Al Khail Square Welcome Stakes – counting for the Longines Rankings Group D – went to Ireland’s Shane Breen and the 13-year-old gelding Scarteen (Golden Hawk x Chellano). With a time of 68.56, Breen took the win ahead of Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi (UAE) and Chacolu (Chaccomo x Baloubet du Rouet) in second in 76.24 and Olivier Perreau (FRA) aboard GL Events Dorai d’Aiguilly (Kannan x Toulon) in third in 77.56.
Then