UAE Names Five Riders for FEI World Championships Aachen
Five Combinations, One Olympic Pathway
The UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation (UAEERF) has named the five horse-and-rider combinations that will represent the United Arab Emirates at the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Championships Aachen 2026, one of the country's most significant international show jumping assignments of the year. The championship runs at Aachen Soers in Germany from 19 to 23 August 2026, bringing together many of the sport's leading riders and horses to compete for individual and team honours across the full week of competition.
The UAE squad is Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi on Enjoy de la Mure, Sheikha Latifah bint Ahmed bin Juma Al Maktoum on Cornet XL, Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi on Hudson de Vains, Humaid Abdulla Khalifa Al Muhairi on Foncetti vd Heffinck, and Salim Ahmed Al Suwaidi on Flonflon. For the UAE, Aachen represents the first opportunity to begin securing team qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with the seven highest-placed eligible teams earning Olympic qualification places.
Al Marzooqi arrives in Germany off the back of a productive European season. He is a 23-year-old Paris 2024 Olympian who took victory in the CSI3* Grand Prix of Lisbon and finished second in the CSI4* Deauville Classic Grand Prix aboard Enjoy de la Mure — CSI star ratings mark the level of an international show jumping fixture, with more stars denoting a higher tier of competition and prize money.
Youth Meets Two Decades Of Experience
Sheikha Latifah bint Ahmed bin Juma Al Maktoum joins Al Marzooqi in the squad riding Cornet XL, bringing considerable championship experience to the group. She has represented the UAE at the highest levels of international equestrian sport for more than two decades, giving the squad a blend of youth and long-standing pedigree at global level.
The remaining three riders complete a squad drawn from multiple corners of UAE show jumping. Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi partners Hudson de Vains, Humaid Abdulla Khalifa Al Muhairi rides Foncetti vd Heffinck, and Salim Ahmed Al Suwaidi is paired with Flonflon, with the group together carrying experience from Olympic Games, Asian Games, Nations Cup and Grand Prix competition at various levels of the sport.
Both Al Marzooqi and Al Suwaidi have prior Asian Games medals to their names as part of the wider UAE effort. Al Marzooqi won individual silver and team bronze at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, while Al Suwaidi was also part of the UAE team that secured bronze in Hangzhou.
Funnell's Squad Built On Preparation
British horseman William Funnell returns as the UAE's Chef d'Équipe — the team manager responsible for selection, logistics and strategy across the championship — having overseen the squad through its European campaign in the build-up to Aachen. Funnell highlighted the consistency and preparation that earned each rider a place on the team, while acknowledging the exceptionally high standard expected among the competing nations.
The federation's announcement builds on a squad that already carries podium finishes from Asian Games and Olympic competition into a World Championships setting. Attention now turns to the Soers, where the five combinations carrying UAE colours will be tested over five days of competition, from the opening qualifier through to the team medal decider on 21 August and the individual final that closes the championship on 23 August 2026.