Equine America Spacecake helps Saudi Arabia to Olympic qualification

The former British team horse Equine America Spacecake, pictured here with new rider Khaled Almobty, has helped Saudia Arabia qualify for the Paris Olympics — Khaled Almobty and Equine America Spacecake in the Olympic qualifier

(Image credit: Stefano Grasso/CHI AL SHAQAB)

Former British team horse Equine America Spacecake has helped Saudi Arabia qualify for the Paris Olympics.

The 11-year-old mare was formerly competed by Ellen Whitaker, until she was sold to the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation at the end of 2022. At the time Ellen said “the offers were getting bigger and bigger until it just became impossible to turn down”.

In the second round Saudi’s Abdulrahman Alrajhi and Babalou HD had nine faults, and Ramzy Al Duhami and Untouchable had six. But it was clear rounds from Khaled and Equine America Spacecake, and Abdullah Alsharbatly and Steve Guerdat’s former World Cup winner Alamo, that sealed Olympic qualification. The UAE took the other qualifying spot – the first time the country has qualified for equestrian sport at the Olympics.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

TOPICS

Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.

Ellen Whitaker’s former British team horse secures Olympic qualification for Saudi Arabia

Saudi’s Khaled Almobty took over the reins in January, and the pair are already showing a promising relationship. They were part of the Saudi Arabian team at the CSIO5* Nations Cup leg in January, and last week helped the country secure Olympic qualification at the Doha Nations Cup in Qatar.

Two Paris tickets were up for grabs in the five-way battle featuring Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Morocco, Egypt and Qatar. At the halfway stage of the competition the UAE led on eight faults, with Saudi Arabia on nine, and Qatar on 10.

Khaled is the youngest rider on the Saudi team, aged 24.

“Today is a day to remember for the rest of our lives,” he said.

“To qualify for the most important show in the world, the most important Games in the world, I’m very happy and proud of my teammates for all the hard work they put in. Hopefully we can continue success in the Olympics”, he said.

You might also be interested in:

British team horse sold to Saudi Arabia: ‘We just couldn’t afford to keep her’

‘A carbon copy of the original’: clone of top showjumper revealed