Dubai, UAE, January 7, 2012 – After back-to-back wins on Thursday and Friday, Abdullah Al Sharbatly entered today’s featured Dubai Equestrian Club Grand Prix FEI World Cup as the one to beat, and the Saudi Arabian was up to the challenge as he collected the championship, his third consecutive and fourth overall.

The 29-year-old Al Sharbatley commented that he was a bit hesitant entering the Dubai Showjumping Championship 2012 CSI*** - W Dubai (Arab League) because he was indecisive of which horse to ride in the competition. A silver medalist in showjumping at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games, Al Sharbatley settled on Larkhill Cruiser. The decision proved correct as he covered the course in an authoritative 51.07 second with no faults. The time was 3.50 second faster than Marion Huges of Ireland as she rode Heritage HS Fortuna to the runner up finish, 54.67 with no faults. The UAE’s Sheikha Latifa Ahmed Al Maktoum was third aboard Peanuts De Beaufour in a time of 55.48.

Al Sharbatly said: “Entering I thought I should ride my other horse, and this was a late decision to ride Larkhill Cruiser. I won with him on both days and today I was concerned that the last two days may have taken too much out of him. It’s hard to win on three consecutive days, but he did it.”

He continued: “This was a great win and I am pleased to continue my development. My goal remains the 2012 Olympics in London and the next FEI World Equestrian Games.”

The AED170,000 Dubai Equestrian Club Grand Prix FEI World Cup featured the top 25 Arab League Riders that qualified from Friday’s Gulf News Dubai Cup.

The final day of competition began with the Longines Accumulator and was won by Joerg Naeve of Germany. He piloted his mount Coolidge with 65 points in a time of 48.86 seconds.

The accumulator is an event that allows competitors to choose the jumps they will contest, with each fence cleared worth a given amount of points based on difficulty. The winner is decided by the highest point total and fastest time.

The win was the first of the competition for Naeve who finished third on opening day in the Emirates Airline Two Phase, and runner up the second day in The Gulf News Dubai Cup, the qualifier for the Dubai Equestrian Club Grand Prix FEI World Cup. In each of his finishes Naeve rode Coolidge.

Finishing close behind in second in 49.43 and 65 points was Saudi Arabia’s Faisal Al Shaalan with Aphrodite Van Het Texelhof. Third place went to Marion Hughes of Ireland in a time of 51.88 and 65 points with Crispien. A total of 38 riders competed in the AED80,000 Longines Accumulator.

On opening day, Al Shaalan finished second to Hughes, who won the Longines Welcome Stakes.

The competition concluded with the Emirates Airline Trophy AED 20,000 and was won by Mohammed Al Kumeiti of the UAE on Scubidu in a time of 73.14, no faults. The UAE also took second as Ali Abdullah Al Kumeiti took Wilma H through the course in 77.33, no faults. Egypt was third as Mohamed Tarik Talaat rode Viceroy to a time of 88.35 with one fault.

Organized by the Dubai Equestrian Club, part of the Meydan Group, the event, held at the Dubai International Endurance City, is partnered by gold sponsors Emirates Airline, the official airline; Longines, the official timekeeper; and Gulf News, the event’s official English newspaper; and silver sponsor, Al Mubdee Scaffolding LLC (AMS).