It was Ramzy Al Duhami (KSA) that took home the victory in Thursday's CSIO5* President Cup Grand Prix presented by Longines in Abu Dhabi.
Eleven riders produced clears over the first-round 1.60m track, and were joined by one rider on a time-fault for the second round against the clock. There, only three riders managed to repeat their clean sheets from the first round, to step up on the podium.
Fastest of the three was Al Duhami on the 10-year-old gelding Ted (Waranta x Jalisco B), who stopped the clock at 43.70 seconds to take the winner's purse of 54.450 Euro. Two seconds behind followed Cecilie Hatteland (NOR) on the 13-year-old Alex (Oklund x Landjonker), taking care of runner-up position while third place went to Edwin Smits (SUI) on the 14-year-old Dandiego B Z (Dutch Capitol x Flemmingh) with the last double clear of the class in 46.96 seconds. With a time fault in the first round, and a clear in the second, Luiz Felipe De Azevedo Filho (BRA) finished fourth on Chacito (Chacco-Blue x Daimler) while Natale Chiaudani ended fifth on Almero (Asti Spumante 7 x Gajus) with four faults in round two.
Earlier in the day, Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA) won the 1.45m Longines Ranking class presented by Al Shira'aa. Riding the 9-year-old mare Carlotta (Chaccomo x Cento), the Italian rider stopped the clock at 52.81 seconds. In 56.54 seconds followed his compatriot Luca Maria Moneta on Neptune Brecourt (Cavalor Cumano x Kayack), while third place went to Janika Sprunger (SUI) on Ninyon (Nintender x Careful) with a time of 57.65 seconds.