HE WOULD have loved to waltz his way to victory but Abdulla Humaid Al Muhairi, the UAE’s top showjumper, didn’t mind doing the cha-cha-cha either as he leapt to glory in the HH Sharjah Ruler Cup presented by Longines at the Sharjah Equestrian & Racing Club on Saturday.

Riding Cha Cha Cha 7, Al Muhairi turned in a flawless performance to win the CSI 2-star ride with a second round time of 34.55 seconds which was merely fractions better than the 34.89s turned in by Jordanian rider Ibrahim Hani Bisharat on Blushing. Third place was scalped by Bisharat’s compatriot Ahmed Nezar Mansour, who clocked 37.73s on the back of Estoril De Vardag.

Al Muhairi went flawlessly about his business in the first round as well clocking 70.84s but that wasn’t the fastest time. That was set by his Emirati countryman Abdullah Mohammed Al Marri, whose 70.45s on Sama Dubai was the fastest among those who rode without fault and qualified for the final round of competition.

The HH Sharjah Ruler Cup was the second big prize won by Al Muhairi over the weekend. On Friday, he and Cha Cha Cha 7 combined to land the CSI 2-star Grand Prix Qualifier with a time of 70.19s which was 1.30s better than second placed Vladimir Tuganov of Russia, who stopped the clock at 71.49s on the back of Tulum. Amre Hamcho of Syria finished a distant third with a time of 76.31s on the back of Vagabon Des Forets.

On Saturday, the CSI 2-star One Round and Jump Off event was won by Jordan’s Hamza Mahmoud Al Kiswani, who rode Happyness over the course in a time of 29.52s. Ireland’s Trevor Breen on Harvey was second with 31.44s, while Hamcho secured third spot on Champion 126 with 31.75s.

UAE’s Sheikh Ali Jmal Nasr Al Nuaimi won the CSIYH 1-star Young Horses Final on Pirelli with a time of 31.65s, with Emirati rider Salim Ahmed Al Suwaidi taking second on the back of Cooper with 34.45s on the clock. Breen placed third on Z7 Porsche with 36.23s. Tina Lund of Denmark on Payse Heutiere won the National Open Class after stopping the clock at 27.38s, with Jordan’s Sara Hussein Al Armouti second on Icarus with a time of 28.59s.

Lund took third as well with Beyond Fellow Dancing K after getting home in 29.81s. Palestine’s Omar Al Haj won the National D2 YH 5-6 JR event on Paprica with a time of 26.63s, with Saif Awaida Al Kirbi on Bon Jovi second in 27.17s. Third were Abdulla Saif Al Awani and Badika in 29.42s.

On Friday, the CSI 2-star Special Two Phases class was won by Al Kiswani and Happyness in 28.85s, while the CSIYH 1-star Young Horses Special Two Phases event was won by Syrian rider Chadi Gharib on Elite De Ponts with a time of 29.65s. Lund claimed victory in Friday’s National Open Class ride as well with Beyond Fellow Dancing K, with Al Haj securing the D2 Young Horse 5-6 Junior event with Paprica in a time of 58.41s.

On Thursday, Marwan Yousif Al Mahmoudi picked up the YH 4-5 CH Novice honours with SS Qualif II in 26.56s, while Saeed Ahmed Al Shemeili and Caprice 431 won the National Novice Division with a time of 75.13s.