Day 2 of the GCAT Final in Riyadh saw the last of the junior qualifying classes and the 4-6 year old senior mares trot into the arena with pride and grace.
D Shakar, bred and owned by Dubai Arabian Horse Stud, clinched class the 2-year-old junior colts with 92.43 points. Currently sitting 2nd in the overall male rankings with 101 points, this showy young colt has secured medals in each stage of the tour this year.
Another Dubai Arabian Horse Stud beauty, D Najlah won the 3-year-old junior fillies with 92.93 points, following straight 20s from our expert panel of judges.
Making a mark was Mumayaz Al Layal of Bahrain’s Al Layal Stud winning the 3-year-old junior colts with 91.93 points. Mumayaz also won 2nd place at the Abu Dhabi stage of the tour in February of this year.
Crowd—and judge—favourite AJ Kayya, bred and owned by Ajman Stud, won Section A of the 4-6-year-old senior mares. She trotted her way to her 7th victory and a place in Saturday’s championships. Undefeated in the Tour to date, can she take another gold title and secure Best Female of 2024 and Horse of the Tour? With 120 points, it certainly looks likely.
And finally, Saudi’s Al Eyha Stud’s SMG Ivana sealed the deal in section B of the 4-6-year-old mares with 92.43. Her first win of the tour, she will go head-to-head against the top 3 from the mare qualifying classes on Saturday.
A special mention to the two additional awards presented by GCAT CEO, Bader bin Mohamed Al Darwish, on Day 2: one for ‘Best Photographer of 2024’ and another for ‘Commitment to the Tour 2024’.
The fan-voted Best Photographer award is for recognising talent, creativity, and technical mastery in the art of Arabian horse photography. It celebrates a photographer’s ability to capture moments that tell compelling stories and showcase the features of Arabian horses through a unique lens. Through stunning stills and powerful portraits, Saudi’s Yazeed Alskakier, whose image of AJ Kayya captured the voter’s hearts, earned the title of ‘Photographer of the Year’.
The Commitment to the Tour Award went to Gulf Horse CEO Abdullah Al Shammari, who’s made a lasting impression on the organisers. He was in a road accident before his flight to the Tour in Rome, yet he still made the trip to show his unwavering support.
The show will commence today at 16:00 local time, with qualifying classes for the 7-10-year-old Mares, Mares 11+, 4-6-year-old Stallions, 7-10-year-old Stallions, and finally the Stallions 11+.
