Equestrian: Muscat Showjumping Series kicks off with National Day Grand Prix

Muscat: An international ‘family-friendly’ spectacle is in the offing as the Muscat Showjumping Series kicks off with National Day Grand Prix on November 24 and 25.
The details of the new showjumping series were revealed during a media event at the Oman Olympic Committee Headquarters on Monday.
According to the organisers, Oman’s rich and enduring affection for the horse will be reinforced by the showcase event to be organised at the Olympic Equestrian Training Centre in Al Felaij, under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Shabib bin Taimour Al Said, adviser to His Majesty the Sultan for Environmental Affairs.
Designed to be an equestrian experience that can be shared by the whole family, the Muscat Showjumping Series offers a friendly atmosphere, good weather and plentiful food and refreshment options.
The remaining events of the series are scheduled to take place on December 22 and 23, March 6 and 7 and on March 30 and 31.
“The Muscat Showjumping Series has emerged from collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism, the Olympic Equestrian Training Centre and the Tanfeedh economic diversification strategy, with tourism one of three industries prioritised under the project. There is a growing global demand for equestrian sports, and showjumping in particular, which Oman is ideally positioned to satisfy,” the organisers said.
“The Tanfeedh initiative is all about engaging the private sector to maximise our potential in key industries,” said Salim Adi Al Mamari, Director General of Tourism Promotion at Ministry of Tourism.
“We are delighted to be working with the Olympic Equestrian Training Centre. With Sultan Al Tooqi winning silver, Oman’s first ever Olympic medal, in the showjumping event at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010, there is already a legacy of talent.
“Worldwide, the economic impact of the equestrian industry is $300 billion. We now hope to build a tourism legacy around the equestrian events that are hosted here in the Sultanate.”
“This new partnership aspires to create a solid foundation for tourism, where the success of an equestrian event will translate into year-round visitors to the country, benefitting the Sultanate long-term,” he added.
The Olympic Equestrian Training Centre venue was established by Hamood Al Tooqi, Sultan Al Tooqi’s father, in 2010. The privately-funded 23,000sqm world-class facility is focused on creating international and Olympic standard riders.
“I would like to thank Tanfeedh for joining forces with us to help create the Muscat Showjumping Series, and what will be a great inaugural event,” said Hamood Al Tooqi.
“We are ready and waiting to welcome families to the centre, and they will find a great atmosphere and a thrilling spectacle of showjumping and equestrian skill.”
The event is supported by the Oman Equestrian Federation (OEF), which was formed in 1983 to promote equestrian events, with Olympic disciplines such as dressage and showjumping increasingly the focus in recent years.
OEF Secretary General Ahmed Al Abri said: “We are delighted to support the Muscat Showjumping Series as it fits perfectly with our mission to promote and develop showjumping across Oman.
“At the same time our goals and values are also completely aligned with the excellent work of the Olympic Equestrian Training Centre. The series is a further opportunity to highlight and celebrate Oman’s equestrian heritage, which is already recognised around the world.”