Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Omar Al Marzouqi underlined his position among the leading riders in international show jumping with a 13th-place finish in the Individual Final of the FEI Jumping World Championship in Aachen on Sunday.
The youngest rider in the field at 23 years of age, Al Marzouqi and Enjoy de la Mure entered the final day among just 25 combinations remaining from the 146 athletes representing 51 nations who began the championship earlier in the week.
Starting 15th in the Individual Final, the Emirati rider delivered another strong performance on the sport's biggest stage to finish 13th overall, narrowly missing a place among the top 12 combinations progressing to the second round.
His 13th-place finish saw him end the championship ahead of a number of the world's most established horse and rider combinations, further cementing his position as one of the leading riders of a new generation in international show jumping.
The result continues a significant rise up the international rankings for the Emirati athlete. As of August 2026, Al Marzouqi sits 87th in the Longines Rankings and sixth in the FEI Jumping U25 Ranking, placing him firmly among the highest-ranked young riders in the sport.
"I'm really happy with the weekend and the results," said Al Marzouqi. "Of course, I'm frustrated to have the last fence down and miss out on the final round, but Enjoy will have a medal one day."
UAE Chef d'Equipe William Funnell praised Al Marzouqi's performance across the championship. "Omar has had an exceptional championship. To finish 13th in the world at 23 years old, as the youngest rider in the final, is a fantastic achievement and shows the level he is now competing at.
"He has ridden with maturity and confidence all week against the very best combinations in the sport. Of course, he will be disappointed to have the last fence down today and come so close to the final 12, but there is a huge amount to be proud of. Omar has a very exciting future ahead of him and I think this week has shown that he belongs at this level."
Al Marzouqi made his Olympic debut at Paris 2024, where he also reached the Individual Final with Enjoy de la Mure and finished 19th. He previously won individual silver and team bronze at the Asian Games Hangzhou in 2023 and silver at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, rising star Mabkhout Alkirbi joined a bunch of international riders to claim gold for the Prize of Sparkasse on Saturday.
The 17-year-old and Diabla PS produced their second clear round in as many days, completing the course fault-free in 63.38 seconds.
Mabkhout joined USA's JJ Torano, Canada's Fares Azouni and Great Britain's Olivia Sponer in Team 2, with the international quartet finishing on a winning score of zero faults and a combined time of 190.53 seconds.
