The Italian Chiaudani wins the Grand Prix jumping show.
With a lead of more than two seconds (and with no mistakes) over the Qatari Mohammed Khalifa Al Baker, Natale Chiaudani, riding Cintender, won the Grand Prix of the International Riding Competition, the most important race of the Sanremo “three days.”
Third was Matteo Elia Simonetti from Carpi, fourth Massimo Tonali from Brescia, and fifth Geffroy Lecomte Lievaux.
The former Italian champion Natale Chiaudani, 62, born in Tortona and for 15 years in Livorno is now aiming for the Paris Olympics. “That’s my goal,” he says, ” I hope to get there, not with Cintender but with another horse”.
The Sanremo Equestrian Society
It represents the history of yesteryear, offering successful competitions already mentioned in the early 1930s in articles in the fine printed paper: the field was designed in 1927 on 36 thousand square meters, opened in 1930 and had King Victor Emmanuel III as its godfather.
The noble elegance of equestrian competitions continues to the present day: in June San Remo hosted the traditional event of international show jumping championships with two weekends of CSI 2 Star International Competitions. Dozens of different backgrounds were represented in the different categories.
Each year great personalities from the national and international scene take part with their splendid horses, creating for all enthusiasts a prestigious opportunity to meet, just as in the chronicles of the past, when wonderful carriages accompanied elegant men in top hats and ladies dressed in fine fabrics, important hats and parasols. VIPs who have attended over the years include Eugenio Grimaldi, Prince Albert II of Monaco, his sister Carolina and Ekaterina Rybolovleva (Dimitrij’s daughter), who lives in Monaco.
Congratulations, therefore, to the current President of the San Remo Equestrian Society, Maria Grazia Valle Valenzano Menada, for organizing a sporting kermesse in which one hundred and fifty competitors and two hundred and fifty horses from Belgium, Brazil, Egypt, France, Georgia Germany, Qatar, Monaco, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Slovenia, USA and Croatia, as well as Italy, were engaged.
The interview with Sheikh Khalifa Al Thani
The reporter Silvano Marco Corradi, who is in charge of external relations for these prestigious events, presents the Sheikh Khalifa Al Thani, as ‘affable, smiling, very kind,’ engaged in the Sanremo International Equestrian Competition where he scored a second place in C135 behind the French Laurent Calcus and ahead of the Belgian Ignace Philips.
“As per family tradition (and passion), it happens that some members dedicated full-time (or almost full-time) to horseback riding and horses, with which they travel the world” – Corradi continues. “This is the second time, Sheikh explains him, I come to Italy. I participated in the competitions in Cattolica and Arezzo. But in addition to racing, I really love your country. I have been to Capri, Ischia, Positano and other very beautiful cities”.
Among other, his family also owns the Paris Saint Germain of Messi, Mbappé and Neymar. “I almost have to like football,” he tells the reporter. And I also play football sometimes. But I’m fond of horses. And of the races.”.
Other passions? “My family. I’m married and I also brought here my two children. Right now they are in Montecarlo.”
Do you also appreciate anything else about Italy? “I like food very much – he confesses. Pasta and ravioli. But I also love truffle”.
In Sanremo he’s with friend and compatriot Ali Khalid Al Abda, came in second and third place in C115.
“I am very happy,” explains him, “although I’d have liked to win. I’ll be staying in Europe all summer and then go back to Qatar”.
In addition to them, in the past have attended the event the daughter and a grandson of the King of Arabia, Athina Onassis, Charlotte Casiraghi, and international jet-setters who have brought prestige to Sanremo, the City of Flowers and of the Festival.
Simona Fontana
