Japan had to settle for silver in jumping when a world-class group of athletes from The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia dominated at the Asian Games 2018. However Abdullah Al Sharbatly with Carrera (Larino Cooper x Contender), Khaled Al Eid with Kayenne of de Rocky Mounten (Fierro hof ter zeedycke x Rixtel), Khaled Al Mobty with Desert Storm II (Clinton I x Quidam de Revel) and Ramzy Alduhami with Ted (Waranta x Jalisco B) only edged out the Japanese by less than two points at the end of a tight competition in which Qatar lined up in bronze, almost eight points further behind.

The Saudi side were super-experienced, Al Sharbatly (35) claimed individual silver at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky (USA) in 2010 and team bronze at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Al Eid (49) took individual bronze at the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000, and four-time Olympian Al Duhami (46) was standing on an Asian Games podium for the third time in his career.

A total of 17 teams started, and it was a member of the fourth-placed Kuwaiti side, Ali Alkhorafi (28), who claimed the individual title. 

Riding the 11-year-old mare, Cheril (Guidam Son x Centgraf), he produced one of just two double-clear performances on the final day, the other posted by UAE’s Sheika Latifa Al Maktoum with Cobolt 8 (Cellestial x Quebec) who eventually lined up in seventh spot. Qatar’s Sheikh Ali Al Thani (35), who finished sixth individually at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, stood on the second step of the individual podium while Saudi Arabia’s Alduhami claimed the bronze.