She’s one of the top showjumpers in the UAE and was part of the group of four riders who represented the Emirates at the Arab Games in Doha last December.
The 26-year-old from Sharjah has such drive, commitment and passion for the sport, you can’t help but expect great things from her in the future.
As a new showjumping season looms, Sport360° caught up with Nadia to see how she spent her summer, and how she’s preparing for her upcoming competitions.
You just got back from Europe, I believe. What have you been up to this summer?
Yes, I stayed in Germany for three months. I usually take my horses with me, but this time I kept them here in Sharjah because they really needed a break. Our season is very long – from October till the end of May.
Such a long season, so many competitions. So I wanted to give them a break. I was mainly looking for some new horses. I found a new horse. He’s very young – a 5yo (five years old) – and has lots of potential. I didn’t compete on this trip at all. It was more about horse hunting.
Tell me about your other horses…
I have three other ones. Larina, which is my top horse, is 9yo. Then another 9yo stallion and another mare, she’s 10. I know her very well, her name is Belisse.
You seem to be training quite hard these days. What’s your training schedule like?
I work till 2pm, but I can take the day off if I need to train in the morning as well as the afternoon. I leave work and head home to change, then straight to the stables and I’m there until evening. After that, I go back home and head to the gym for half an hour or an hour to do some fitness training.
Me and my trainer Andre alternate in riding all three horses. You really can’t do it on your own. You need help and he really helps me a lot.
So what are you preparing for? When is your next show?
Right now, we’re training hard, getting the horses fit. My next show will be a national competition in October here in the UAE, then in November we have the Global Champions Tour (GCT) in Abu Dhabi.
I did well there last year and won one of the smaller classes. Then the Arab League starts for me in Doha in December. I believe there’ll be one stop in Morocco this season then several shows here in the UAE.
Do you feel the sport is evolving in the UAE?
The sport in the UAE is getting big. And also in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The Saudis won a medal at the Olympics, that’s just amazing. But you need a lot of backing, lots of people to get behind you so you can do well in this sport. We need more people in the UAE to get behind us.
Hopefully, the fact that Saudi won a medal could inspire more people here to support us more; to pick the best riders and help us out.
How did you get into showjumping?
When I was young – like four years old – I really liked horses. My sister, Sarah is competing too. We travel together. I have a lot of support from my parents. Without them I wouldn’t have what I have right now.
What are your biggest goals/dreams in this sport?
Of course, everybody’s goal is to be one of the best showjumpers in their country and I would like to be one of the best in the UAE. And I also would love to try to qualify for the Olympics one day.
I’m training as much as I can. I am waiting for the right horse. The training and the management of the horse is crucial. If you have the most amazing horse but don’t have good management and a good team, your horse will not last. It won’t keep up physically.
My trainer Andre (who is German) is very experienced and really knows what he’s talking about. I would also love to be part of the GCT. That’s the highest class of showjumping. In my sport, age-wise I still have a lot of time to get better and achieve my goals. The top riders are in their late 30s or 40s and I know I have enough passion and motivation to keep doing what I’m doing.
Do you know which classes you’ll be competing in at the GCT?
In the GCT, it depends on my horse. I’m doing the ‘smaller’ show because in the Grand Prix, if you’re not going to be able to compete against the best riders that are in it, there’s no point.
Do you do anything besides showjumping?
I work in marketing. I try to balance both my job and showjumping, but it’s stressful. I work, go home, then stay at the stables until 8pm and then go to the gym.
My day is so full. You have to go to the stables. You have to take care of them. You’re committed. You can’t be lazy, you can’t just say ‘I’ll give them a day off’. But in the weekend, I try to go to the beach and relax a bit.
What’s your greatest achievement so far?
Placing in the Arab League Grand Prix and competing in the Arab Games for the UAE.
Do you enjoy following other sports? Did you follow the Olympics?
Yes, I watched athletics because I like it a lot, and of course showjumping. I also saw Andy Murray win the US Open, which was great. I really was starting to think he was never going to win a Grand Slam, so that was great to watch.
Who is the most inspiring person you have met?
Well, I haven’t met anyone who inspired me but something which really helps me is a book written by Eckhart Tolle called A New Earth. It teaches you a lot of things. How to handle a stressful life and things like that. You can learn a lot from him, especially if you’re an athlete.
There seems to be a lot of camaraderie among showjumpers. Is that a fair judgment?
At the end of the day, you want to win. But it’s the type of sport where you can pick up something from everyone. That’s why everybody can help everybody.
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