Ahmed Adnan H Sharbatly

Started: He began riding at age seven, and got involved in Para equestrian dressage in 2013. (tokyo2020.org, 29 Sep 2020) Reason: He was approached about trying Para dressage after competing at a jumping tournament for non-Para athletes. "I had some sharp turns, and was holding the reins too tightly. A lovely woman who was watching came to me afterwards and said, 'You were riding very well but in the turns you were too tight on the reins'. She then asked me if I'd heard of Para dressage. I said I hadn't and she suggested that I explore it and get classified." (tokyo2020.org, 29 Sep 2020) Ambition: To compete at the 2025 Asian Championships. (Athlete, 29 Aug 2024) Milestones: He became the first dressage rider to represent Saudi Arabia at the Paralympic Games when he participated at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. He placed 10th in both the individual freestyle and the individual championship test. (SportsDeskOnline, 23 Sep 2021; fei.org, 15 Oct 2020) Awards: He and taekwondoka Dunya Ali Abutaleb were named flag bearers for Saudi Arabia for the opening ceremony of the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China. (HAGOC, 22 Sep 2023) Additional Info: RIO HEARTBREAK In 2016 he was set to become the first Saudi Para dressage rider to compete at a Paralympic Games, but he was forced to pull out from the Games in Rio de Janeiro following an injury to his horse. "I qualified for Rio 2016, but sadly my mare was injured just before the Games and we couldn't go." (fei.org, 15 Oct 2020) OTHER ACTIVITIES In 2022 he became a member of the International Equestrian Federation's [FEI] Regional Group 7 dressage committee, which aims to boost the development of the sport in the Middle East and North Africa. (Equiciety Facebook page, 02 Apr 2022; eurodressage.com, 08 Feb 2022) OCCUPATION In 2020 he spent time working for his family's construction business in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. (fei.org, 15 Oct 2020)

Sporting Relatives: His cousin Abdullah Al-Sharbatly won a bronze medal in the team equestrian jumping competition at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and competed at the 2022 World Cup final in Leipzig, Germany. (Athlete, 29 Aug 2024; SportsDeskOnline, 10 Aug 2022; tokyo2020.org, 29 Sep 2020)