Saudi equestrianism shines with three medals in the Asian Games and is crowned with the Horse Beauty Championship

Saudi rider Khaled Al-Mubti, who won the bronze medal in the show jumping competitions at the 20th Asian Games (Nagoya 2026), confirmed that the competition witnessed a significant development in the levels of Asian and Arab riders, indicating that his ambition goes beyond continental competitions towards achieving an Olympic medal.

Al-Mubti said, in an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat: “The sport of show jumping is witnessing a remarkable and very significant development in various Asian and Arab countries, and the competition was very difficult. Praise be to God, I achieved the bronze medal, and we look forward to achieving better results in the next Asian Games.”

The Saudi rider revealed the details of the Excellence Round during which he was close to grabbing the gold medal, saying: “I finished 3 rounds without mistakes, and reached the Excellence Round with the two knights who achieved gold and silver. “I was coming in after them, and that was supposed to serve me better.”

He added: “The two riders made a mistake by dropping each other’s hurdle, so I needed to finish the round without mistakes, and I was not required to go very quickly. “I tried to give a clean round, and I reached the last hurdle, but it fell and deprived us of the gold medal.”

Al-Mubti continued: “This is the sport of show jumping, and God willing, the future will be better.”

Regarding his future ambitions, Al-Mubti stressed that his goals do not stop at Asian competitions, and said: “Our ambition is not limited to Asia, but rather we are looking forward to something greater, which is the Olympic Games. We have a program to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics, and the qualification process will begin in early 2027, and God willing, we aspire to achieve an Olympic medal.”

Saudi equestrianism continued its brilliance at the 20th Asian Games (Nagoya 2026), after veteran horseman Ramzi Al-Dahami snatched the gold medal in the individual show jumping competitions, on a day that witnessed a remarkable Saudi presence on the podiums, with Abdul Rahman Al-Rajhi winning the silver medal, and Khaled Al-Mabti the bronze.

Al-Dahami won the gold medal in the show jumping competitions, with a height of 1.55 metres, after he succeeded in finishing the competition in first place, adding a new achievement to his busy career, and giving Saudi Arabia a new gold medal in the Asian Games.

Abdul Rahman Al Rajhi came in second place to win the silver medal in the same competitions, confirming Saudi superiority in show jumping.

Al-Rajhi and Al-Dahami advanced to the Excellence Round after an error-free performance in the second round, as Al-Rajhi finished his course with a time of 76.42 seconds, while Al-Dahami recorded 76.96 seconds, without committing any error.

In other individual show jumping competitions, Khaled Al-Mubti added a third medal for Saudi equestrian, after winning bronze in the 1.45-meter height competition.

Al-Mubti succeeded in reaching the differentiation round after completing the second round without errors, recording a time of 78.66 seconds, before clinching third place in the differentiation round with a time of 45.35 seconds.

In the same competitions, the result of the Saudi jockey Saad Al-Ajmi was disqualified after his horse refused to complete the course.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, owner of the Athba Stud, presented the prize mare “Nouf Athba” to his granddaughter Nouf, who shares the same name with the mare, following the conclusion of the competitions of the fifteenth edition of the National Championship for Purebred Arabian Horses, which was held at the Khalidiya farm, west of Riyadh.

“Nouf Athba” won the gold in the mares championship, while the colt “Nader Athba” won the bronze in foals.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Ahmed said, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat after the coronation, in response to a question about who would give him the award: “I dedicate this award to the granddaughter Nouf, named after the mare.” He added: “Praise be to God, thanks to God, and the satisfaction and prayers of the parents.”

Prince Abdulaziz bin Ahmed praised the efforts of the camel management team at the stud, and mentioned Obaida Al-Junaid and the crew working with him in following up and managing the horses.

Regarding “Nouf Athba,” he said that he was hopeful about her, and described her as “a champion and the daughter of a champion, the daughter of Alehandro, a horse that has not been defeated yet,” adding that she “achieved many results.”

The mare’s registry confirms her lineage to the stallion “AKS Alehandro” and her ownership of the Athba Stud, while specialized references state that the stallion finished his career in camel shows without defeat.

The prince described the championship as a national “in-show,” and said that it had “value and weight” with the ECAHO, meaning the European Conference of Arabian Horse Organizations (ECAHO). The Ikaho registry classifies the event as a national championship.

Regarding the participation of “Nader Athba,” he said: “Praise be to God, he won the bronze, and God willing, the next one will be better, God willing.”