UAE Dressage Celebrates Milestone Asian Games Campaign in Tokyo
Bianca Schütz and Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri finish 12th and 13th in Individual Freestyle Final as two UAE riders reach final day for first time in nation’s history
The UAE concluded its dressage campaign at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Sunday with Bianca Schütz and Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri finishing 12th and 13th respectively in the Individual Final, completing a significant three days of competition for UAE dressage at JRA Equestrian Park in Tokyo.
The four-strong team of Natalie Lankester, Mohamed Jassim Al Serkal, Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri and Bianca Schütz began the championship by securing sixth place in Friday’s Team Final, improving on the UAE’s eighth-place finish on its historic Asian Games dressage debut in Hangzhou in 2023.
All four combinations returned to the arena for Saturday’s Intermediate I, the second Individual Qualifier, where Al Jahouri and Schütz finished 14th and 15th respectively across the two qualifying rounds to secure their places among the top 15 combinations progressing to Sunday’s Intermediate I Freestyle to Music.
Their qualification marked another milestone for the Emirates, with two UAE dressage riders progressing to an Asian Games Individual Freestyle Final at the same Games for the first time in the nation’s history.
On Sunday morning, Bianca Schütz and Le Grand Ayden HB delivered another consistent performance to score 70.930% and finish 12th overall. The flashy KWPN stallion showed his quality throughout the Freestyle, with the pair presenting an expressive test set to music featuring a subtle hint of Arabia.
The result completed three consistent days of competition for Schütz and Le Grand Ayden HB, who had secured the final qualifying position for the Individual Final following their Prix St-Georges and Intermediate I performances.
Schütz described finishing among the top 15 at the Asian Games as a particularly proud moment. “Le Grand gave me everything he had and has been a super consistent horse throughout the three days of competition. He’s going to get a well-deserved break in Holland before heading to the UAE for the international competitions. I’m honoured to represent the UAE and thank His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, for his continued support of our sport.”
Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri and Lotus-S followed with a UAE-inspired creative Freestyle that impressed the judges and earned 68.945%, another international personal best for the combination and 13th place overall.
The expressive KWPN gelding showed his talent throughout the higher-level work, although some costly mistakes and moments of tension affected the final score. The result nevertheless marked Al Jahouri’s second personal best of the week, following the 67.030% achieved in Friday’s Prix St-Georges.
“Lotus-S was a little tense today from the music and had a few spooky moments,” said Al Jahouri. “But I am so proud of how far we have come as a partnership and there is still so much more to come from this horse. He has so much talent for the higher-level work and just needs more miles to build his confidence in the arena.”
The results cap a positive championship for the UAE, with the team improving from eighth at Hangzhou 2023 to sixth in Tokyo, while two combinations reached the Individual Freestyle Final for the first time. Al Jahouri also leaves Japan having achieved two new international personal best scores during the three days of competition.
The UAE’s progress in Tokyo comes during a period of continued growth for dressage in the Emirates. Since fielding its first Asian Games dressage team in 2023, the country has expanded its presence both domestically and internationally, with the 2025/2026 season marking the first time the UAE hosted international CDI dressage competitions and providing riders with further opportunities to compete at international level on home soil.
The UAE dressage horses will depart Japan for Europe on Tuesday. Some will continue their international campaigns across the European CDI circuit, while others will return to the UAE to contest the international season at home.
A programme of CDI1* and CDI2** competitions is scheduled to take place across the Emirates from November 2026 through to April 2027, providing further opportunities for UAE riders and horses to build on the progress made in Tokyo.
With a sixth-place team finish, two riders inside the top 15 individually and two new international personal bests, the UAE leaves Japan having recorded its strongest Asian Games dressage campaign to date.
