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At the FEI Jumping Asian Championship 2025 at the B Grimm Country Club in Pattaya (THA), Taizo Sugitani and the 14-year-old gelding Quincy 194 (Quaid 1 x As di Villagana) anchored the Japanese team to gold. Riding alongside Tomoki Koshidaka and Cortis de Nyze Z (Cayado x Mr. Blue), Kei Okubo on Quick Casall (Quick Star x Casall) and Kazuki Takizawa aboard Crn Digger (breeding unknown), Sugitani delivered three clear rounds to help his team when it mattered the most.

“Originally, the plan was for me to be the fifth rider, because I wanted to send all our young riders to get some experience,” Sugitani tells to World of Showjumping. “However, one of the horses got sold last minute, so I had to go in. We had two young newcomers in the team who are 26 and they had never been to a championship. It was quite an interesting team.”

“Height wise, you cannot compare it to another major championship – like the Europeans – as this one was jumped on 1.40m and 1.50m level, but it is a total of five rounds – when you count the individual final as well,” Sugitani explains about the format of the second ever FEI Jumping Asian Championship – a much needed addition to the calendar for this region.

“Before, we only had the Asian Games every four years. We were missing a championship like this in Asia,” Sugitani points out. “I went to the first one in 2019, but due to the Covid pandemic and other outbreaks, the second edition was postponed until now. Especially for the young riders, it's a great experience to have a real championship atmosphere. The organizer in Pattaya created a very good setup, it was like riding in Europe.”

Team Japan’s gold was a result of excellent teamwork, as the week in Pattaya was – in true championship-style – eventful. “The weather was hot, so we had to really get ready for it and take that into account when assessing the fitness of the horses,” Sugitani tells about the build-up. “The flight was long as well, and the horses had a week to get climatized. I arrived in Pattaya five days before the competition started. Unfortunately, one of our riders got eliminated on the second day, so we had no drop-score for the rest of the competition; it was a miracle that we managed to stay on top. I think it was a true definition of teamwork. We didn't give up and we rose strong and even when one was gone, we kept everything together.”

While some of the best Japanese riders opt to base out of Europe, the sport keeps growing in Sugitani’s homeland. “There are enough Japanese riders in Europe, but our biggest goal was to create a B-squad with the young and up-coming riders,” Sugitani shares about the future vision for Team Japan. “Some of our young riders have only been jumping in two-star Grand Prix classes as their biggest competitions. For them, this championship, where you don't need to have experience in 1.60m classes, is doable and a great opportunity for them to step up. Next year, we have the Asian Games on home soil, and that is a big goal for Team Japan – as are the World Championships in Aachen. Everyone is really motivated, and I think our success in Pattaya will add another layer to the excitement.”

“Asian countries are developing nations when it comes to showjumping. It's hard to keep up with the European level, but I think creating this championship is another step in the right direction. I'm sure we will have good horses and riders for the future, so I hope the FEI continues with it,” Sugitani concludes.

11.12.2025 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.