UAE riders for Show Jumping World Championship

UAE riders will compete Monday in the Show Jumping World Championships of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Taleb Al Muhairi, Secretary General of Emirates Equestrian Federation, said the UAE team will participate in five world competitions.
The UAE is engaging in these equestrian games for the first time.

A Jumping competition is one in which the combination of horse and rider is tested under various conditions over a course of obstacles. It is intended to demonstrate the horse's freedom, energy, skill, speed and obedience in jumping as well as the rider's horsemanship. The competitor incurs penalties for exceeding the time allowed, for knocking down or refusing to jump an obstacle. The winner is the competitor who finishes with the least number of penalties.

Forty-one countries have submitted definite entries for the Show Jumping World Championships, presented by Rolex at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

In total, there will be 136 riders and 138 horses, and 27 countries will field teams.

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are the world championships of eight equestrian disciplines recognised by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI). The Games are held every four years and this will be the first occurrence in the United States.

The very first World Equestrian Games were held in Stockholm in 1990. Six disciplines were involved--Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance and Vaulting. In 1994 the city of The Hague in the Netherlands hosted the Games.