Young Emirati show jumper finishes 13th in the world at Aachen championship.
AACHEN, Germany: UAE rider Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi strengthened his standing among the world’s leading show jumpers with a 13th-place finish in the Individual Final of the FEI Jumping World Championship in Aachen on Sunday.
At 23, Al Marzooqi was the youngest rider in the field. Riding Enjoy de la Mure, he reached the final day as one of just 25 combinations remaining from an original field of 146 athletes representing 51 nations.
Starting 15th in the Individual Final, the Emirati produced another strong performance to finish 13th overall, narrowly missing out on a place in the second round, which was reserved for the top 12 combinations.
His 13th-place finish put him ahead of several of the sport’s most established horse-and-rider combinations, further reinforcing his emergence as one of the leading riders of the new generation in international show jumping.
Rising through the international rankings
The Aachen result adds to Al Marzooqi’s rapid rise on the international circuit. As of August 2026, he is ranked 87th in the Longines World Rankings and sixth in the FEI Jumping U25 Ranking, placing him among the sport’s highest-ranked young riders.
The result continues a significant rise through the international rankings for the Emirati athlete. As of August 2026, Al Marzooqi is ranked 87th in the Longines World Rankings and sixth in the FEI Jumping U25 Ranking, placing him among the sport’s highest-ranked young riders.
“I’m really happy with the weekend and the results,” Al Marzooqi said. “Of course, I’m frustrated to have the last fence down and miss out on the final round, but Enjoy will have a medal one day.
“I’m grateful to Emirates Jumping for their support, to William and our trainer Duncan, and of course to my father, who started me on this journey and has been with me every step of the way.”
UAE Chef d’Equipe William Funnell praised Al Marzooqi’s performance throughout the championship, describing his 13th-place finish at just 23 years old as a “fantastic achievement” and saying the rider had shown the maturity and confidence to compete against the world’s best.
The Aachen result adds another major championship performance to Al Marzooqi’s growing record. At Paris 2024, he reached the Individual Final with Enjoy de la Mure and finished 19th, marking an impressive Olympic debut. He had already established himself on the international stage with individual silver and team bronze at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, as well as individual silver at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.
At just 23, his progression from youth-level success to Olympic finalist and now 13th in the world at the FEI Jumping World Championship highlights the rapid development of one of the UAE’s leading young show jumpers.
Al Marzooqi’s 13th-place finish brings the UAE’s jumping campaign at the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026 to a close, adding another significant international result to the country’s growing record at the highest level of show jumping.
