UAE Team Opens FEI Jumping World Championship Bid In Aachen
Al Marzooqi Leads Uae Charge In Aachen
Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi produced a clear round aboard Enjoy de la Mure on the opening day of the FEI Jumping World Championship in Aachen, Germany, to sit 10th individually as the UAE Show Jumping Team began its campaign on Wednesday, 19 August 2026. Four Emirati combinations contested the first competition in the Aachen Main Stadium, with Al Marzooqi's performance the standout of the day for the visiting team.
The FEI Jumping World Championship Aachen 2026 opened at the Aachen Main Stadium on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, where Al Marzooqi and Enjoy de la Mure jumped a clear round in 72.62 seconds, Sheikha Latifah bint Ahmed bin Juma Al Maktoum and Cornet XL finished with one fence down in 83.42 seconds, Humaid Abdulla Khalifa Al Muhairi and Foncetti vd Heffinck finished with four fences down in 92.83 seconds, and Salim Ahmed Al Suwaidi and Flonflon finished with two fences down in 85.76 seconds.
Sheikha Latifah bint Ahmed bin Juma Al Maktoum was the first UAE combination into the arena, going ninth in the order aboard the 10-year-old gelding Cornet XL. A trailblazer for UAE equestrian sport, she became the first Emirati woman to compete in showjumping at the Olympic Games before this return to the World Championship stage.
Reflecting on the round, Sheikha Latifah said, "I'm very happy with how he went in the circumstances. We had an early pole, but I'm really happy with how we finished and I think we'll have a good second round and get better from here." She added that Cornet XL had jumped somewhat below his usual tempo. "I've had him for three years. Normally he's more forward than today, but we know what we need to do now."
Enjoy De La Mure Delivers Best Round
Humaid Abdulla Khalifa Al Muhairi followed Sheikha Latifah into the Main Stadium with Foncetti vd Heffinck, the pair finishing with four fences down and a total time of 92.83 seconds. Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi and Enjoy de la Mure then went second-to-last for the UAE, delivering the flawless round that carried the team's best result of the day.
"Enjoy felt amazing today. The team are jumping well and we're still a very young team," Al Marzooqi said after his round. "The course was really welcoming and rode like it walked. The ground is fantastic and Aachen has done a great job with the organisation. We're here to chase team qualification, but if that doesn't go to plan, we always have Plan B."
Salim Ahmed Al Suwaidi and Flonflon closed out the UAE's opening-day order, entering the Main Stadium as a heavy downpour swept across Aachen. Competing in his first FEI Jumping World Championship, Al Suwaidi finished with two fences down and a total time of 85.76 seconds in conditions that had deteriorated sharply by the time he entered the ring.
Al Suwaidi said representing the UAE at a first World Championship carried its own weight regardless of the scoreline. "This is my first World Championship and I'm honoured to be here representing my country. It didn't quite go as I'd hoped today, but I'm here jumping the toughest course of my career to date against the world's best riders. It could have been better; it could have been worse. The horse finished safely and, inshallah, tomorrow will be a better day for us."
Young Riders Set For Friday Debuts
Attention turns to Thursday, 20 August 2026, when the UAE returns to the Aachen Main Stadium for the second competition, with the Mercedes-Benz Prize beginning at 11:00 GST (09:00 CEST). The UAE's next generation of talent will also feature today, when two 17-year-old riders compete in the international Young Riders competition (CSIY) running alongside the World Championships.
Mohammad Saeed Al Ghurair, ranked 147th in the FEI U25 Rankings for August 2026, will partner Etoile de Beliard following a top-10 finish in Šamorín the previous week. Fellow 17-year-old Mabkhout Owaida Alkirbi rides Diabla PS, arriving in Aachen off the back of a top-five finish in Kronenberg.
Al Marzooqi's clear leaves him best placed of the UAE's representatives as the competition moves into its second phase on the Aachen showgrounds.