Doha: The eighth round of Qatar's Longines Hathab equestrian series began on Thursday at the Longines Arena in Al Shaqab, marking the latest stage of the competition's ninth season.

According to Qatar News Agency, the event, organised by the Qatar Equestrian Federation in partnership with Al Shaqab, will run for three days. The opening day featured the 100cm Amateur class, followed by the 130cm Silver class.

Khalifa bin Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani won the Amateur round in 54.36 seconds riding Zion. Maryam Abdulkarim placed second on Beyonce in 54.89 seconds, while Hamad Nasser Al Marri finished third on Jumbo in 55.15 seconds. The winners were honored by Mohammed Saleh Al Marri, Head of Facilities and Logistics for Longines Hathab.

In the Silver round, Nasser Al Ghazali took first place on Dexter with a time of 26.85 seconds. Mohammed Abdullah Jumaa came second on Viheibi in 27 seconds, and Khalid Al Hadi placed third on Doremi in 27.65 seconds. Abdullah Mohammed Al Marri, the tournament director, presented the awards.

The Longines Hathab series is considered Qatar's leading domestic equestrian circuit, aimed at raising standards and interest in the sport.