Ali Al Jahouri And Bianca Schütz Secure Places In Asian Games Dressage Individual Final

The UAE will be represented by two combinations in the Individual Dressage Final at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, after Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri and Bianca Schütz secured their places following Saturday’s second Individual Qualifier at JRA Equestrian Park in Tokyo.

Returning to the arena less than 24 hours after helping the UAE secure sixth place in Friday’s Team Final, all four Emirati combinations contested the Intermediate I on Saturday, with scores from the opening Prix St-Georges and second qualifier combined to determine the top 15 combinations progressing to Sunday morning’s Intermediate I Freestyle to Music.

Performances throughout the two days were assessed by the experienced five-member international Ground Jury, presided over by Hans-Christian Matthiesen of Denmark, alongside Sunil Shivdas of India, Vic Barba of the Philippines, Ricky MacMillan of Australia and Helen Hughes-Keen of New Zealand.

Natalie Lankester and Tesla DXB were the first UAE combination into the arena on Saturday. Riding the expressive 2015 KWPN stallion by Vitalis out of a Johnson mare, Lankester showed quality through several sections of the Intermediate I test. The pair had an unfortunate miscommunication which proved costly. They finished the day on 61.824%, giving them a combined score of 122.648 across the two qualifying rounds.

Mohamed Jassim Al Serkal and Zen Liquidity followed, producing a steady performance throughout their Intermediate I test. Al Serkal and the 2014 stallion by Zonik N.O.P. presented a harmonious picture to the judges, completing the test on 63.470% and finishing the two days of individual qualification with a combined score of 127.235.

The UAE’s penultimate combination, Bianca Schütz and Le Grand Ayden HB delivered another solid performance, with the flashy 2016 KWPN stallion by Grand Galaxy Win showing his quality throughout the Intermediate I. A few small mistakes in the two-time tempi changes affected the final mark, but the pair finished on 66.059%. Added to their opening-day score, Schütz and Le Grand Ayden HB completed the qualifiers on a combined score of 132.706, claiming a coveted position in Sunday’s Freestyle.

After recording a new international Prix St-Georges personal best of 67.030% on Friday, Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri and Lotus-S returned to the arena, looking to secure a place in Sunday’s final. The 2016 KWPN gelding by Grand Galaxy Win out of a Juventus mare impressed particularly through the canter tour, producing another quality performance. A slight spook at a cameraman positioned in front of the judge at H briefly interrupted their test, but the combination recovered well to finish on 65.706%. Their combined score of 132.736 secured his place among the 15 combinations progressing to the Individual Final.

Schütz was delighted to secure her place in Sunday’s final and praised Le Grand Ayden HB for his performance across the two qualifying rounds. “I’m incredibly proud of Le Grand. He has given me such a great feeling here in Tokyo and there is still more to come from us. To finish inside the top 15 and qualify for the Freestyle is very special, particularly with two UAE riders going through to the final. We came here wanting to represent the UAE to the best of our ability and I’m really looking forward to going into the arena tomorrow, enjoying the Freestyle and giving it everything we have.”

The results cap a significant two days for UAE dressage in Tokyo. On Friday, Lankester, Al Serkal, Al Jahouri and Schütz combined to finish sixth in the Asian Games Team Final, bettering the UAE’s result from its historic Asian Games dressage debut in Hangzhou three years ago, where the team finished in 8^th place overall.

Attention now turns to the Individual Final on Sunday 27 September, when Al Jahouri and Schütz will become the first two UAE dressage riders to contest an Asian Games Individual Freestyle Final at the same Games.

The Intermediate I Freestyle to Music begins at 09:30 Japan Standard Time (04:30 UAE time) at JRA Equestrian Park, with the qualification marking another milestone for UAE dressage, as two Emirati combinations progress to the final 15 for the first time in the nation’s Asian Games history.