Saudi Sport Minister Crowns GCAT Champion

The event featured the participation of 237 horses representing premier studs from around the world. Asharq Al-Awsat
The event featured the participation of 237 horses representing premier studs from around the world. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Sport Minister Crowns GCAT Champion

The event featured the participation of 237 horses representing premier studs from around the world. Asharq Al-Awsat
The event featured the participation of 237 horses representing premier studs from around the world. Asharq Al-Awsat

The final round of the Global Champions Arabians Tour concluded on Saturday in Riyadh as Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal crowned the mare AJ Kayya as the GCAT champion.

The event featured the participation of 237 horses representing premier studs from around the world.

Prince Abdulaziz crowned AJ Kayya as the GCAT champion after earning the highest points across the series, which spanned seven Gulf and European cities, culminating in Riyadh.

Additionally, the colt D Burkan was recognized for achieving the highest cumulative points across all rounds of the competition, while Saudi handler Azzam Al-Qassem was awarded best handler during the final round in Riyadh.

The championship began in February in Doha, Qatar, and continued through five other cities: Abu Dhabi (UAE), Muscat (Oman), Cannes (France), Valkenswaard (Netherlands), and Rome (Italy).

The competition brought together the world’s most prestigious Arabian horse stables, with Riyadh hosting an intense final round to determine the overall champion.

This event aimed to raise the standard of Arabian horse shows, foster high-level competition, promote cultural exchange, provide competitive opportunities, and encourage investment in the Arabian horse sector. These efforts align with the Ministry of Sports’ mission to achieve the sports objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.



F1 Moving Canadian GP to May to ‘Rationalize’ Calendar

Formula One F1 - Canadian Grand Prix - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada - June 9, 2024 Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in action during the race. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Canadian Grand Prix - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada - June 9, 2024 Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in action during the race. (Reuters)
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F1 Moving Canadian GP to May to ‘Rationalize’ Calendar

Formula One F1 - Canadian Grand Prix - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada - June 9, 2024 Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in action during the race. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Canadian Grand Prix - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada - June 9, 2024 Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in action during the race. (Reuters)

Formula 1 announced the Canadian Grand Prix will move from mid-June to May on the 2026 schedule to "rationalize" the circuit's schedule.

The move is expected to see the Montreal event follow the Miami Grand Prix, while the recently-announced extension for the iconic Monaco Grand Prix will shift to the first weekend in June.

The changes will eliminate F1 from criss-crossing the Atlantic Ocean as part of its sustainability and cost-efficiency efforts.

This year, F1 held nine races in Europe, with the Canadian Grand Prix interrupting the stretch with its June 9 date.

"The move will allow the European leg of the F1 season to be consolidated into one consecutive period over Europe's summer months and is planned to remove an additional transatlantic crossing by the F1 community each year -- meaning significant associated carbon reductions," F1 said in a statement.

It is a continuation of F1's ongoing efforts to improve efficiencies in the schedule. The Japanese Grand Prix has been moved to the spring to align with other races in the Asia Pacific Region. The Azerbaijan event was moved to the autumn to better align with Singapore, and Qatar was shifted to before the season-ending Abu Dhabi race.