The Horsera Showjumping Championship, which concluded at the Horsera Club in Barka, Oman on April 5 under the supervision of the Oman Equestrian Federation, featured elite riders and horses competing in showjumping, showcasing private and government stables

It all began with a measured canter… Then, hooves press into the sand, a stride adjusts, a rider steadies, and then, in one clean motion, horse and rider lift, clearing the rails with inches to spare. No theatrics, no noise, just precision – the hallmark of showjumping!

It is this quiet mastery – the balance of power held in check – that defines the horse. For centuries, they have stood alongside humans not just as companions, but as partners in sport, in war, and in accomplishments. Strength courses through them, but so does sensitivity, speed, and restraint.

Omani equestrian pioneer Abeer Sultan calls them ‘gentle giants’, a phrase that feels less like sentiment and more like truth the moment you watch them in motion. Fittingly, she is the first Omani woman to establish a stable dedicated to showjumping in the sultanate.

That understanding shaped the grand opening of the Horsera Equestrian Club and its flagship Horsera Championship, held over the weekend. Though the club has been operational since September 2024, this was its formal introduction – and it arrived with intent. Riders, trainers, grooms, and spectators gathered in force, drawn not just by competition, but by the promise of something steadily building within Oman’s equestrian scene.

Across two days, nearly 150 horses took to the arena, each round a test of rhythm, line, and nerve. The courses were unforgiving in their subtlety – distances that asked questions, combinations that punished hesitation, and fences rising from 70cm to a demanding 130cm. At this level, it is rarely about whether a horse can jump, it is about whether the rider can find the stride, hold the balance, and commit at exactly the right moment.

Day one set the tone with classes at 70, 100, 110, 120, and 130cm. By day two, the competition tightened, with riders returning to the arena at 90, 100, 120, and 130cm, pushing for cleaner rounds and finer margins. A clipped rail, a rushed turn, a missed distance – small errors, instantly magnified.

The crowd, nearly 500 strong each day, followed every round with quiet intensity before breaking into applause at a well-ridden clear. There is something about showjumping that draws people in – the visible risk, the split-second decisions, the unmistakable partnership between horse and rider. You don’t need to understand the rules to feel when a round goes right.

The list reflected a sport gaining ground. Riders came from private stables as well as established institutions, including teams from the Royal Oman Police, Royal Guard, and Royal Army – evidence of both, grassroots growth and formal backing.

For Abeer, who balances her role as a marketing manager at Towell Group with the demands of building a competitive stable, the weekend marked more than an event, it marked arrival.

“I have always loved horses from childhood. I call them gentle giants, not animals,” she said. “Starting this club… this has been a dream for a long time. The Horsera Championship is not just a competition, it is everything I’ve worked towards.”

At the centre of that journey is her horse – Avalon – a seven-year-old at a pivotal stage – no longer green, not yet fully seasoned, but stepping into that space where ability and understanding begin to meet.

Horsera Equestrian Club currently operates 22 stables in its first phase, with expansion already underway. Many of its horses are sourced from the Netherlands and Belgium, where breeding programmes have long prioritised athleticism, carefulness, and scope—qualities that showed clearly in the arena.

For the riders, the championship was as much about progression as placement. Al Qassim Al Mandari, competing in the 90 cm class, carried more than just ambition into the ring. “I’ve been riding for 15 years. My father owns a stable in Seeb with 22 horses. Riding here with my horse – Colonel 37 – it felt like continuing that journey.”

Al Mutaz Al Yousufi, a decade into the sport, spoke of the work behind the performance. “Training a horse takes time. With a seven-year-old, you’re building trust every day. It’s not just about jumping -it’s about getting the rhythm right, staying patient, and improving round by round.”

Sayed Al Amri perhaps captured the mood best. “It was an incredible experience – well-organised, competitive, and inspiring. You could feel the quality – of the horses, the riders, everything.”

The championship was supported by key sponsors including Towell, Jotun Paints, and Sohar International Bank, signalling growing corporate belief in the sport’s potential.

Karim Al Balushi, Assistant Vice President of Sports Affairs at Sohar International Bank, underscored its broader value. “Sport builds discipline and leadership. Supporting events like this helps create opportunities for Omanis to aim for international platforms, including the Olympics.”

By the final round, as the last horse left the arena and the sand settled back into stillness, what remained was a sense of momentum. The Horsera Championship was not just a well-run competition, it was proof of a sport finding its stride in Oman.

For Abeer Sultan, this is only the beginning. The fences will get higher, the courses tighter, the competition sharper. But if this weekend showed anything, it is that the foundation is already set, and it is built on equal parts of ambition, discipline, and belief.