Longines Arena at Al Shaqab hosted the closing day of the Qatar Equestrian Federation Cup 2026 on Sunday, as the final event of the Doha Equestrian Tour 2026 came to an end. The competition marked the conclusion of the DET 2026 season, with the QEF Cup Grand Prix deciding the feature class of the weekend and confirming the final series standings.
The day belonged to Kristen Vanderveen (USA), who produced a remarkable triple-winning performance, capped by victory in the CSI5* Grand Prix. In an outstanding performance across the final day, Vanderveen completed a remarkable hat-trick of victories, crowned by success in the CSI5* Grand Prix Jump-Off 1.60m aboard Bull Run’s Jireh, where she produced a double clear in 81.92 and 44.07 seconds. She also topped the CSI5* Faults & Time 1.50m with Starbucks 27 after a clear round in 73.89 seconds, and earlier in the Longines Indoor Arena opened her account by winning the CSI3* 1.35m Faults & Time with Bull Run’s Lioness in 58.67 seconds. Her triple success provided a memorable and emphatic finish to the DET’s closing weekend.
Vanderveen said, “Doha Equestrian Tour has been an incredible experience for me. It’s my first time in Doha, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I brought a lot of horses, and they all really developed throughout this entire Tour. And it was special to get to finish the Tour with a big win here at the end.”
Bassem Mohammed (QAT) also delivered an important home result, finishing second in the CSI5* Grand Prix with Wathnan Issem to place Qatar on the podium in the weekend’s feature class. He remarked, “I was happy with my horse’s performance today and with myself. My horse did one of the best rounds since he’s been with me. From the beginning of the Tour, I also had a few new horses, and I finished the Tour with five Grand Prix horses at the highest level.”
Abdullah Alsharbatly (KSA) closed the season with another strong performance, finishing third in the CSI5* Grand Prix with Skorphults Baloutendro and confirming his consistency at the highest level throughout the Tour.
The day also featured the CSI3* Grand Prix, where Mohammed Khalifa A Al Baker (QAT) secured victory in the CSI3* Grand Prix Jump-Off 1.50m aboard Dukhan 3, delivering a clear round in 44.66 seconds in the jump-off. Also in the Indoor Arena, Zayed Ali (IRQ) took the CSI3* Table C 1.40m aboard Quirani van de Maltahoeve with a result of 64.97 seconds and three penalties.
QEF Final Day Results
Scott Brash (GBR) finished the 2026 Doha Equestrian Tour as the overall CSI4*/5* rankings winner, maintaining his lead in the final standings through to the end of the season. Abdullah Alsharbatly (KSA) completed the series in second place, while Harry Charles (GBR) finished third overall. Prize money in the CSI4*/5* standings was allocated at €250,000 for first place, €150,000 for second and €100,000 for third.
Brash commented, “I’m absolutely delighted to have won the overall ranking here in Doha. It’s been a fantastic tour with consistently strong competition, so to come out on top is very rewarding for the whole team. I’ve really enjoyed my time here this year. The shows have been very well organised, the facilities are excellent, and it’s been great for the horses to get into a good rhythm over a few weeks. I think we’ve seen some solid performances and it’s been a productive start to the season. As for next year, it’s certainly something we’d love to return to. It’s a fantastic tour, and if it fits into the plan, I’d be very happy to come back.”
Inaugurated in 2025, the Doha Equestrian Tour is a premium equestrian series hosted at the Longines Arena at Al Shaqab, bringing together world-class sport in one of the region’s leading venues. Across the 2026 season, the Tour staged eight competitions from January to April, with a total prize fund of €10.747 million. The series featured show jumping, dressage and para dressage, combining elite international sport with strong home participation across multiple levels of competition. In total, DET 2026 brought together 229 riders from more than 30 countries.
As the 2026 season drew to a close, the Tour also looked ahead to its next chapter, with the 2027 edition set to begin on December 30, 2026. Reflecting on the season and the road ahead, Sheikh Talal bin Khalid Al-Thani, Assistant Deputy Director of the Doha Equestrian Tour, said, “I would like to congratulate all the winners on the podium in today’s Grand Prix, Kristen Vanderveen, Bassem Mohammed and Abdullah Alsharbatly, as well as the overall winners of the Doha Equestrian Tour 2026 standings. I would also like to extend a special thank you to the team behind the Doha Equestrian Tour for making this competition possible, and especially to His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani for his continued support of the sport and his role in helping it grow into the future. We hope to welcome all these riders back again next year, along with even more international, regional and local riders for the 2027 season.”
Results here.
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