Before the start of the 5* Grand Prix, a CSI5* 1.50m class took place during the Commercial Bank CHI Al Shaqab presented by Longines Doha competition. In this class the riders had to ride directly on time and that turned out to be a very exciting denouement. The number one of the world was narrowly beaten by Simon Delestre who took home the victory in this 5* class.
Simon Delestre could count on Dexter Fontenis Z (by Diarado) to set the winning time of 58.91 seconds. With this, he was just too quick for Peder Fredricson and Hansson WL (SWB) (v. Hip Hop). With only six hundredths of a second, Fredricson rode to second place in 58.97 seconds. Philipp Schulze Topphoff and Clemens de La Lande (by Comme Il Faut 5) secured third place with a time of 59.34 seconds.
Hans-Dieter Dreher (Vestmalle des Cotis) ended up fourth. Denis Lynch (Cornets Iberio) jumped to fifth place.
Photo: © Al Shaqab / Stefano Grasso