Show jumping is like a dance: it takes the joint effort of two partners in order to glide through a flawless round, and Kuwait has just followed the rhythm. In technical terms, it is an equestrian event that tests the horse’s jumping ability and the rider’s skill over a set of course of different obstacles. As Fajer Al Sabah stated, “It is the split second horse and rider suspended in the air (that) is like no other. It takes all your worries away and gives a sense of achievement and inner fulfillment.” Kuwait has rapidly excelled in show jumping which is evident in many aspects. Although Kuwait has recently adopted show jumping, it has shown a significant improvement in this field over the last thirty years. The Hunting and Equestrian Club was the first club to be founded in Kuwait, which is a government run foundation. It provides many facilities including: shooting, horse racing, swimming, and show jumping. As the interest of the public leaned toward show jumping, private clubs that specialize in show jumping opened to meet the demand. As Gemma Louisa Brewer witnessed, “There is a lot more riders, competitive spirit from the riders, competitions, and more private clubs opened in the last ten years.” With the opening of the Kuwait Riding Center and Messila Equestrian Club regular competitions began to be held on Fridays. Due to the new competitive atmosphere, riders began to look outward to international competitions. They have proven their competency in many international shows. In the recent show held in Sharm Al Sheikh, four of Messila’s riders registered and participated. In the one hundred and forty five centimeter class, Ahmad Al Mudahka was placed second, Bandar Jumaa was placed third, and Abdulrahman Al Fuzae was placed eleventh. I have witnessed our riders prove there competency in the international shows held in Kuwait and Bahrain. Their performance has stretched out to Syria, Qatar, Dubai Sharjah, Saudi Arabia, and Damascus. The public’s interest in show jumping is evident in the increase of competing riders. On September 2008, one hundred and twenty two riders participated in the opening season competition. Competitions are divided into classes; each class is specialized for different riding levels. To maintain a challenge for the competitors, various obstacles were inserted in the higher classes. On May 24, 2009, Kuwaiti riders competed on a slanted fence that gradually reached one hundred and eighty centimeter, called the ‘High Jump’. Another class called the ’six bar’, which has six fences with two canter strides in between, was held in the Kuwait Riding Center. One of Kuwait’s most renowned riders, Abdulrahman Al Fuzae stated, “If we compare the number of riders today to the number of riders six years ago, we would notice a significant increase of riders. We now have more than fifteen riders participating in the big class, unlike a few years ago when we suffered from a shortage of riders.” Kuwaiti women’s participation in show jumping competitions can be traced back to the 1980s. In the Asian Olympics Gemila Al Mutawa, Nadia Al Mutawa, and Baraa Al Sabah were placed in the top three positions. In 2006, the manager and head trainer of KRC Nouf Ben Essa, was the first woman to be nominated for the world cup qualifier. Kuwaiti girls have participated in many local competitions and have been influenced by the competitive atmosphere, as Latifa Al Hajeri said :”I was happy, excited, and worried that I would forget the course.” Kuwait’s interest and demand for show jumping has lead to Kuwait’s many successes in the field in local and international competitions. Some people ride for fun, while others ride for the sole determination to win. Either way, riding in all its forms, influences all riders emotionally, mentally, and physically. As Noura Al Roumi said, “I found myself concentrating on my goals more because I had a goal to compete and win.” Both genders have exceeded expectations in international competition and there are high hopes that Kuwaitis will be placed in the future Arab League competitions.
Written by: R.S
Thanks Zaina 
Comments (7) 
thanks for this opportunity ! I also want to thank Ms. Abrar there who was very sweet through the process :* 
