Record prize and biggest line-up for International Showjumping Cup's 10th anniversary

The FBMA event has drawn more than 300 riders and has a prize fund of Dh800,000

The FBMA International Showjumping Cup will complete 10 years this month. Reem Mohammed / The National

Showjumping in the UAE is in for a tremendous boost with the Fatima bint Mubarak Academy International Showjumping Cup celebrating its 10th anniversary in grand style.

The championship will take place at the Al Forsan International Sports Resort from January 26 to 29, with its largest prize fund and biggest line-up yet.

The four-day event has drawn more than 300 riders and 303 horses, vying for a prize purse of Dh800,000 across six competitions, highlighted by the CSIL Two-Star FBMA International Cup, exclusively for women.

The FBMA Cup is the third event of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Festival and has drawn participants from 34 countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, Great Britain, the US, India, South Africa and China.

Leading the host team in the FBMA International Cup are the UAE’s top riders Sheikha Latifa Al Maktoum and Nadia Taryam.

“Indeed, 10 years is a milestone and we celebrate the occasion with our biggest edition in terms of the numbers and prize fund for the FBMA Cup,” Mohammed Al Nakhi, vice-president of the Showjumping and Dressage Committee, said at the launch ceremony on Monday.

“I remember, when we had the inaugural FBMA Cup, we had around 14 different nationalities and only a few came from overseas, while most of them were from within the country.

“This edition is made up of five international categories and a national category for amateur female riders. This is for them to get involved in the same event by participating in the same arena as the professionals.”

Dr Omniyat Al Hajeri, vice chairperson of FBMA, said the event has grown tremendously.

“The 10th edition of the event signifies how far the competition has come – which has contributed to the growth of the sport and provided opportunities for females of all ages and nationalities to participate on a global platform and succeed in sport.

“It is truly wonderful to see many women are embracing showjumping and we hope their participation this week will inspire the younger generation to follow in their footsteps so they can strive in sport and become the best individual they can be in life.”