Sheikh Majid Bin Abdullah Al Qassimi has been part of a talented showjumping Emirati team that has been gaining tremendous momentum in the equestrian world over the past few years.
A progress Sheikh Majid attributes to the formation of the Arab League which is a circuit that allows riders to compete all over the Middle East from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain to Egypt to the UAE and the top two teams qualify directly to the prestigious World Equestrian Games (WEG).
“For me the Arab League was like a dream that became a reality,” he says. “They gave us a chance, we now have seats to qualify for the real sport. When that happened, people started taking the sport more seriously.”
In a sport where riders continue to compete even in their 40s and 50s, Sheikh Majid has already jumped against the world’s best. And, mind you, he is only 26.
He started training at the riding school at the Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club when he was four and began training professionally from the age of nine with his first competition being a local show in Sharjah when he was only 11-year-old.
Sheikh Majid’s big break came at the UAE President’s Cup in Abu Dhabi early last year where he managed to clinch a qualifying spot on the UAE showjumping team that was participating in the elite WEG for the very first time.
While a couple of individual riders had been to the WEG before, this was the first time in history that the UAE qualified as a team. Around 136 riders from 41 teams were set to compete at the grand stage in Lexington, Kentucky, and the UAE quartet did all they could to represent.
Sheikh Majid and Co. did a decent job on their WEG debut and they made a lasting impression with their brave performances especially at such a young age.
“We trained in Germany for six months before the WEG. It was a lifelong dream for me to compete there,” he said. “It was very hard but just riding there was a dream come true for me. Everyone was stunned that with the extent of my experience, everything went well.
“Personally speaking my horse wasn’t as qualified as the others. I was shocked that my horse did a decent job there,” he added. “It was a hard decision to go there and compete but I didn’t want to miss the chance. So I made my choice and went and honestly I couldn’t be happier with how my horse did. He did everything I could possibly ask of him. More than enough.”
After returning from the United States Sheikh Majid started preparing with the UAE team for the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou in November.
While his UAE teammates had already experienced podium success in the Asiad winning the bronze in the team event in Doha 2006, Sheikh Majid was making his debut and was pumped up to compete after going through Kentucky and coming out stronger.
His flawless effort on the 13 obstacles placed on the course cemented the silver medal in Guangzhou for the UAE team who managed to grab second place ahead of elite showjumping squads – a result that seemed unbelievable to him.
“Five years ago it would have been funny to think that I could have been on a podium at an Asian Games. But today this is a reality and it will probably take some time for the feeling to sink in,” he said at the time.
“This medal is even more special as we came here with a young team. We don’t have too much experience, but we have worked hard to be here.”
After the WEG and the Asian Games, Sheikh Majid started studying for a Masters in Diplomacy at the American University of the Emirates (AUE). “When I came back I needed to rest my horse and it was also a chance to do my Masters,” he said.
“Of course one month after I dedicated my time to studying, I realised how much I missed competing. But I am in my last semester now and the season is about to start here and I’ll be competing again,” he said.
When asked about the London 2012 Olympics, Sheikh Majid admitted it is quite a long shot to grab the last remaining qualifying spot. The Saudi Arabian team qualified by winning the Asian Games and now only one individual spot remains for a single rider from the region.
But Sheikh Majid is not discouraged as he sets his sights on new goals. “I always need a challenge to make me go forward. London maybe is hard because there is only one individual seat left for the whole Middle East. But I’m hoping for the next WEG in 2014 and the Rio Olympics in 2016,” he said.
Sheikh Majid believes the UAE’s international achievements last year are only just the beginning and he expects a lot more to come. “The WEG for me is like I got a taste from a big cookie and now I want more. It was a taste for the real professional sport. There is no way we will move backwards from that. It’s a motive for us to keep working hard.
“I’ve been riding for 20 years but I’m not even 50 per cent of where I want to be as a rider. I always tell myself to keep working hard to keep improving even if I don’t have everything I need like the right horse or anything else. It’s important that when the chance presents itself, I’ll be ready for it.”
