UAE Equestrian Triumph at FEI Championship Paves Way for 2026 Asian Games
The United Arab Emirates equestrian team delivered a stellar performance at the FEI Young Horses Championship in Barroca d’Alva, Portugal, sweeping both the individual and team titles in endurance riding — extending their streak of dominance to three consecutive years, a record in the event’s history.
Led by riders including Omar Al Marzooqi, whose horse Biarritz Z placed in the top ten in show jumping competitions across Belgium and Germany, the UAE has demonstrated remarkable versatility across equestrian disciplines. Their success stems from a disciplined, integrated training model that treats endurance, show jumping, and dressage as interconnected branches of a unified high-performance program.
The team’s preparation is supported by long-term partnerships, including the vital sponsorship from Emirates airline, which has played a crucial role in enabling international competition travel, athlete development, and access to global training benchmarks.
What sets the UAE apart is not just podium finishes, but the scientific rigor behind its program. Horses are bred and conditioned in climate-optimized facilities near Al Ain and Sweihan, with strict monitoring of physiology, nutrition, and recovery. Riders undergo elite-level physical conditioning focused on core stability, neuromuscular efficiency, and saddle control — mirroring the protocols of top global athletic programs.
This model is now being scaled with an eye on the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. For the first time, the UAE has qualified full national teams in endurance, show jumping, and dressage — all drawn from the same training pipeline. This holistic approach is unprecedented in the region.
As the team looks ahead to next year’s Games, their success in Portugal is less about claiming medals and more about proving that a deep cultural heritage in horsemanship can evolve into a world-class, modern, and highly competitive equestrian system — one that stands alongside the best in the world.
