(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Vaulting stuns the audience with gymnastics on horseback: backflips, somersaults, handstands, up to three athletes at the same time on the back of a cantering horse, presented by a lunger on a circular line. Following a spectacular show exhibition in 2013, vaulting is now an official part of the program at CHI Al Shaqab 2015 for the second time.
Vaulting at Chi Al Shaqab 2015 will see team and individual competitions:
Five Squads (with 6 members each, mixed gender) and six Pairs (Pas de Deux) and
Women (12) and Men (13) competing individually.
Vaulters in Doha represent twelve different countries.
Euro 60,000 Prize money, makes it the most expensive worldwide
A vaulting final score is comprised of a compulsory performance with eight movements including mount and dismount, a technical program that has a set of prescribed moves that are arranged by the vaulter's personal preference and the freestyle. Teams are omitting the technical program but show their freestyle twice.
Squads have four minutes for their fireworks of artistics in the freestyle, pairs have two.
Individual vaulters show one minute in front of four judges, giving scores for technical and artistic content and execution. Much thought goes into the choice of personalized music to comply with the "theme" of the performance.
"AL Shaqab attracts the top athletes of today's vaulting", says CHI-vaulting manager Barbara Török.
"Next to the multiple champion-pair Jasmin Lindner and Lucas Wacha and the Köln-Dünwald squad, winner in 2014, we expect two individual top stars, the World and European Champion Nicolas Andreani from France and today's most successful female competitor, the current World Champion Joanne Eccles from Great Britain. They both choose Doha as the fitting finale to their fantastic individual careers. On top of that Doha hosts all the World Cup winners that have just finished their season with the big final in Austria, two weeks ago.
Winners at CHI Al Shaqab 2014:
Squad: Köln-Dünwald (GER)
Pairs: Jasmin Lindner/ Lukas Wacha (AUT)
Individual Female: Simone Jäiser (SUI)
Individual Male: Patrick Looser (SUI), since retired, 2. Erik Oese (GER)
Today's Vaulting schedule
4:00pm Vaulting Squad € Compulsory Test
5:15pm Individual Female € Compulsory Test
6:30pm Individual Male € Compulsory Test
Tomorrow
3:00pm Indiv. Female - Technical Test
4:15pm Indiv. Male € Technical Test
5:30pm Vaulting Squad € Free Test
6:30pm Vaulting Pairs € Free Test
March 4
9:30am Vaulting Pairs € Free Test, 2nd Round
10:30am Indiv. Female € Free Test
11:50am Indiv. Male € Free Test
1:00pm Vaulting Squad - Free Test, 2nd Round
Quotes
"It is fantastic that this year vaulting is featuring here at CHI AL Shaqab for the second time running. Vaulting is so much different from any other disciplines. We can call it a theatrical discipline in which the athletes perform different artistic exercises, including mounts and dismounts, backflips, handstands, somersaults on the back of the cantering horse. All this is being performed to the unique harmonic musical accompaniment. Hope this discipline will be very popular among the spectators."
Barbara Torok, Vaulting Discipline Manager
"We have a very promising group of competitors with no less than seven Olympic riders. Despite a very full dressage calendar in Europe and the US at this time of the season, we have Doha getting a lot of attention and the level of interest is certainly to rise in the years to come. Unlike the jumping riders most dressage riders have only one horse for top competitions and they take care to manage it wisely. Qatar hospitality and the prize money are extraordinary, very worthy for a 5* dressage competition and we should expect some extremely good performances."
Dr Ulf Moller, Dressage Discipline Manager
"I am quite excited to be her because para equestrian dressage will premiere at CHI Al Shaqab 2015. It is the first time we are having a para-dressage competition in this part of the world and the field of competitor's is outstanding. You won't see any better outside of any official championships. We will see 21 riders from 11 countries, with Lee Pearson from Great Britain as the rider with the most medals from Olympic Games and world championships. The Netherlands are sending seven riders."
Alexander Durban,
Para-Dressage Discipline Manager
"Chi Al Shaqab is considered as one of the most important equestrian events in the world with the participation of top level riders and horses. The impressive state of the art venue of Al Shaqab contains the first class surface as well as facilities for both riders and horses. With 9 out of 12 competitions counting for the FEI ranking and a Grand Prix worth ¤500 000, emotions, risk and competitiveness are 100% guaranteed. A well known course designer, Frank Rothenberger, will be taking care of the designs so we will see the demanding, smooth and well designed courses with horses welfare in mind."
Alejandro Ancin Berdegue, Show Jumping Discipline Manager
"The Endurance competition will take place on March 7 at Sealine and the distance will be 120 km. The competition will be particularly interesting and full of competitors from different countries. I would take this opportunity to thank the organising committee for all their efforts in ensuring the strength of the competition. We are all looking forward to the excitement here at Al Shaqab."
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