PALESTINE’S SHCHIBRIK CRACKS THE CODE: INDIVIDUAL MEDALS DECIDED IN THRILLING ASIAN JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
The FEI Jumping Asian Championship reached a spectacular conclusion this afternoon in Pattaya (THA), as Palestine’s Egor Shchibrik delivered a display of remarkable consistency and composure that saw him rise to the top to claim Individual Gold on his championship debut. Aboard the eye-catching ten-year-old grey stallion Crack HV, the 23-year-old athlete delivered only faultless performances across all five-rounds of the Championships to finish on a total of 2.93 penalties- a performance no other athlete could match over four days of intense competition.
Coming into today’s Individual final in sixth position Shchibrik delivered one of only two faultless performances in the final round and the only double clear of the Individual Final to see him crowned the Champion.
Kuwait’s Ali Al Khorafi and the impressive I delivered the only other clear of Round Two to rise from fourth to second place this afternoon and claim the Individual silver medal with a final score of 5.50 penalties. Yun-Chi Lin of Chinese Taipei, riding Driss de Kerglenn took Bronze on 6.04 penalties; a just reward for the athlete’s impressive consistency and mental tenacity across the championship.
"This sport is full of surprises. Today, the dream came true for me!"
The final day brought spectators to the edge of their seats as fault-free rounds proved scarce and the leaderboard shifted repeatedly, but it was Shchibrik, cool, composed, and collected under pressure who ended the day at the top of Jumping. Today’s two-round Individual Final was widely predicted to be a showdown centred around long-time championship leader Taizo Sugitani (JPN), who entered the day carrying forward a total of zero (0) penalties and sat in pole position after a week of exemplary jumping.
His dominant performance in day one’s speed class saw him take a convincing early lead which was reinforced by a string of flawless performances in the rounds that followed, spearheading Japan’s successful Team Gold Medal campaign. Going into today’s final round with four faultless rounds already behind him, his form at these Championships alongside his experience as the reigning Individual Asian Champion from Pattaya 2019, and status as a seven-time Olympian, placed him firmly in the spotlight.
But the sport of Jumping is rarely predictable. As Sugitani cantered into the sun-lit arena for round two, the shadows cast by the afternoon light stretched across the opening line. Whether caused by distraction, misjudgement or simply the sport’s unpredictability, Quincy 194 clipped the back bar of the oxer at fence one and dislodged the top rail of fence two within seconds of entering the arena. Within a matter of moments, the favourite’s medal hopes evaporated, sending shockwaves through the packed Pattaya stands.
“I’m still trying to understand what happened there,” Sugitani said with admirable composure. “The shadows were definitely playing a part today, and Quincy hesitated for a fraction of a second. That’s all it takes at this level. I’m proud of my team and my horse, but today wasn’t our day.”
His eight penalties in the final round saw him slide dramatically down the leaderboard to finish in an eventual fifth place on eight (8) faults.
Course designer Olaf Petersen Jr. (GER) presented a two-round Final that left absolutely no margin for error. The technicality increased incrementally from Wednesday’s opening 1.40m Table C speed class right through to today’s finale where the last two rounds of 1.50m Table A tracks proved the most technically demanding.
The time allowed in both final rounds proved influential, forcing athletes to make bold decisions between maintaining a forward rhythm to achieve the time and setting up to ensure precision and care for safe negotiation of the delicate elements and lines.
“You had to stay forward the whole time,” remarked bronze medallist Lin. “If you held for even half a second, you were risking a time fault—and those were expensive today.”
Compounding the difficulty, the ever-elongating shadows drifting across the arena during round two subtly altered how horses read the fences meaning that the already demanding distance questions and airy verticals, became more difficult under the shifting light.
“It was a course where you needed a clever horse,” said silver medallist Al Khorafi. “The shadows, the short time—there were questions everywhere.”
While others faltered however, Egor Shchibrik displayed nerves of steel. Beginning the day in sixth place, he needed not only precision and calculated speed but also for the leaderboard ahead of him to crack under pressure. And that is exactly what unfolded. With Crack HV on spectacular form Shchibrik focused on the only thing that he could control- his own performance. Run in reverse order of standings, once again he delivered with his faultless first round catapulting him into contention and piling the pressure on the more experienced athletes that sat above him.
His final round was a sight to behold. An exhibition of Jumping; exemplary horsemanship and harmony between horse and athlete. Shchibrik’s pinpoint precision, beautifully soft, light riding style and seamless execution of aids was matched by the enthusiasm and textbook technique of Crack HV.
The much-admired Cornet Obolensky sired stallion never faltered nor showed signs of fatigue or complacency throughout his fifth round of the week as he cleared each fence with inches to spare, ears pricked and tuned into every one of Shchibrik’s undetectable commands.
Their clear round shot them to the top of the leaderboard with only two athletes remaining. Neither of those however had incurred a single fault in the four rounds of competition this far. When Yun-Chi Lin (Driss de Kerglenn) lowered the first part of the double of verticals and picked up one time fault, the young Palestinian was guaranteed a silver medal. In the greatest shock of the championships, the first fence then fell for the seemingly untouchable Sugitani and Shchibrik’s fate was sealed:
“I don’t have the words,” Shchibrik said, visibly emotional. “This is my first Championship. I came here wanting to learn, to gain experience. Crack HV jumped his heart out from the very first day. He felt like a lion today.”
Kuwait’s Ali Al Khorafi, already a decorated athlete in the region and Jumping Individual Gold Medallist at the 2018 Asian Games, added another major Championship medal to his résumé with a beautifully ridden clear in the final round aboard I. Coming into the day in the chasing pack, his experience shone through as others faltered.
“I knew a medal was possible if I stayed calm,” he explained. “The plan was simply to deliver my best rounds and let the results follow. I’m proud of the horse, and proud of what this medal represents for Kuwait.”
His Silver continues Kuwait’s exceptional Championship performance following their Jumping Team silver earlier in the week and Team Silver from the 2019 FEI Asian Championships.
Consistency across all five rounds paid dividends for Yun-Chi Lin and the impressive Driss de Kerglenn. Despite a pole falling in the final round causing a tense moment, Lin kept his composure and was rewarded with the bronze medal.
“This horse gives me everything,” Lin said. “I knew the time allowed was tight, so I had to take risks, but smart risks. I’m very happy with how we finished.”
With athletes tested across five technical rounds that demanded athleticism, accuracy and courage alongside ever-changing environmental conditions and challenges the FEI Asian Jumping Championship delivered a final worthy of its continental status.
The level of competition on display throughout the week was a powerful reflection of the rapidly rising standards of jumping across the Asian continent. The depth of talent, professionalism and technical skill demonstrated, particularly in the pressure-filled final rounds was recognised by course designer Olaf Petersen Jr. (GER), whose demanding tracks pushed athletes to deliver their very best. Petersen praised the progress he has witnessed in the region:
“Asian jumping has grown enormously in the last decade,” he said.
“The riders are braver, the horses are better produced, and the teams are more prepared. This week showed that they can handle true championship questions, not just physically but mentally.”
He explained that designing for such a developing yet increasingly sophisticated field requires a careful balance:
“You want to test them, of course, but also give them the chance to show the quality they now have. The standard here was very impressive - some rounds today would hold up in any major championship around the world.”
From Sugitani’s unexpected heartbreak to Shchibrik’s meteoric rise from tenth place on day one to Individual Gold, the Pattaya finale demonstrated why Jumping remains one of the most unpredictable and thrilling sports to spectate.
As the new Asian Champion, Shchibrik summed up the feeling best:
“This sport is full of surprises. Today, the dream came true for me!”
--ENDS--
Full results here
Photo by FEI/Yong Teck Lim