Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi: From Flat Races to Asian Games Silver, Olympic Dreams Beckon

Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi's lifelong passion for equestrian sports began over four decades ago, inspired by his father's racehorses. Initially participating in flat races and even securing victories, Al Muhairi transitioned to dressage as he grew taller. A pivotal moment came when an Irish trainer encouraged him to try showjumping, leading him to join the jumping team at the Dubai Equestrian Club. By the age of 16, he was already representing the UAE in international showjumping competitions.

"Since then, I really fell in love with showjumping and I haven’t stopped since," the 52-year-old shared with The National. He finds showjumping more challenging than other disciplines, allowing riders to showcase their individual skills, unlike racing or endurance where the horse plays a more dominant role. "But in the jumping, you have 60 seconds, and you have to show everybody how good you are in the 60 seconds. But before the 60 seconds, you have to work so hard, so long, day and night, until you reach that level."

This dedication culminated in a significant achievement earlier this month when Al Muhairi secured two silver medals at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan – one in team jumping and another in individual jumping. Riding his nine-year-old stallion, Hudson de Vains, he was instrumental in the UAE team, alongside Omar Al Marzooqi, Sheikha Latifah bint Ahmed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, and Humaid Al Muhairi, clinching second place behind Saudi Arabia.

In the Individual A competition, which featured fences between 1.40m and 1.50m high, Al Muhairi delivered two clear rounds. He narrowly missed gold in the jump-off, finishing just 1.05 seconds behind Qatar's Faleh Al Ajami. "Thank God. I was lucky. I wasn't really expecting to have two medals," Al Muhairi admitted. "My target was more in the team competition. This year they have a bit of a different format for the championship. You saw there was Division A and Division B. My horse is only nine years old. This was my first championship with him. Before the Games, we were a little bit up and down. I wasn't really expecting to win a medal in the individual. But at the end, I was wrong, and the horse proved that he is a really good horse."

Al Muhairi acquired Hudson de Vains as an eight-year-old last summer, and their partnership has rapidly flourished. "I really thought he is a special one. I really believed in him," he stated. "But he was a little bit green for an eight-year-old. The rider who was riding him, she didn't do too much with him. I really had to start again from the beginning to get him to learn my way and my system. But in the end, he started to understand my way of riding. Then we did some five-star shows and he jumped two times a clear round. Since then, I was really hoping for so much with him."

Upon their return from the Asian Games, Al Muhairi and his fellow Emirati medallists were welcomed by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, president of the UAE Olympic Committee. During a conversation at the reception, Al Muhairi reflected on his motivation. "The president was asking, ‘What is the motivation for you to keep going?’ As a rider, after the achievement, I can easily say, ‘OK, enough, I will stop’. But I feel like my life, it's too much [intertwined] with horse riding. I don't see myself outside horse riding, because honestly, I don't like to train people. I have my business; I can do it when I have time. But other than that, I don't know what to do. So, I have to keep riding and enjoy myself, and I'm doing it for pleasure. I did what I did, but I'm not putting any pressure on myself to do more."

Al Muhairi's next significant goal is to qualify for the Olympics, with the qualification period approaching soon in March. He hopes the qualifying event will be held in Abu Dhabi, allowing him to leverage home advantage. "OK, my next target is to qualify for the Olympics, and it's coming very soon [in March]. And hopefully we will do it in Abu Dhabi. So, if we qualify for the Olympics, I will consider riding more horses and concentrate more until Los Angeles 2028. And then maybe I will start to stop."

He identifies Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa as formidable opponents for the UAE during Olympic qualification, where only two spots are available. Abu Dhabi is the likely host for the Olympic qualifying event. To prepare, the team plans to participate in two Nation Cups, including the prestigious League of Nations, which features the top 10 teams globally, and a four-star Nation Cup in Sharjah. "We had a meeting with the trainer. He wants to do two Nation Cups as a preparation before the Olympic qualification. So, League of Nations will be a good preparation for us because it's really tough. It's the best 10 teams on the planet in jumping. And then before that, we have a four-star Nation Cup in Sharjah. Also, this is if he wants to try something new or if he wants to put a new member in the team or a new horse. So at least like there is not so much pressure before the Olympics so we can try some other stuff. I think this year will be very hard for all the teams to qualify. So that's why it's good if we have it in our country so that our horses are used to the environment and the rings. So we are really hoping to qualify."