
Alexxanderr wins gold as Global Champions Arabians Tour concludes fifth stage in Cannes
CANNES: The 2025 Cannes edition of the Global Champions Arabians Tour came to a close on Sunday with Alexxanderr, owned by Al-Mirqab Farm, taking home the prestigious Senior Stallion Gold Championship title.
Held at the Stade de Hesperides, the fifth stage of the tour and first European stop offered a blend of world-class Arabian horse competition, cultural experiences, and Riviera glamour.
A high-profile crowd of horse owners, celebrities, influencers, partners, and members of the public attended the event over three days.
Bader Al-Darwish, the CEO of the Global Champions Arabians Tour, said: 'Cannes has once again proven to be a spectacular stage for our tour.
'This event reflects everything we stand for — excellence, integrity, and the celebration of Arabian horse heritage.
'Congratulations to all the winners and participants for their remarkable performances. We are honored to bring this experience to such a stunning destination and grateful for the support of our partners who made it possible.'
With $1.63 million in prize money awarded across all classes, the Cannes stage once again cemented its position as a highlight of the GCAT calendar. The results will contribute to the overall tour rankings, bringing competitors closer to the prestigious Leading Male, Leading Female, and Top Handler titles.
The competitors were challenging for a chance to qualify for the World Arabian Horse Championship Supreme, which is set to take place in December in Doha.
Meanwhile, the tour continues to its sixth destination in the Europe and Middle East Series at Valkenswaard in the Netherlands from July 18-20.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Al Arabiya
Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon tries to become the first woman to break the 4-minute mile next week in Paris
Faith Kipyegon's already a three-time Olympic 1500-meter champion. She's already the world-record holder in the mile and 1500. Next on her to-accomplish list: Become the first woman to break the 4-minute mile barrier. The 31-year-old Kipyegon is making a run at that hallowed mark in a Nike-sponsored event dubbed 'Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile' on June 26 at the Stade Charlety in Paris. She set the world record mark of 4:07.64 nearly two years ago during a Diamond League meet in Monaco. 'I think breaking four will really cement my legacy,' Kipyegon said in a Zoom call on Wednesday. 'The next generation is looking up to us to show them the way and this is what I'm doing now. … Everything we do we have to dream big and just believe in ourselves that we could do it.' It was more than 71 years ago when British runner Roger Bannister became the first man to eclipse 4 minutes when he ran 3:59.4. For Kipyegon, finding extra speed to trim a little more than 7.64 seconds occupies her thoughts and drives her in training. But really, she and her coach, Patrick Sang, aren't altering from their routine too much to chase a sub-4 mile time. What she's doing in workouts now has already proven highly successful. She won her third straight 1500 Olympic title in Paris last August. A month before that, she broke her own 1500 record on the same track where she will run next Thursday. 'For me, I would say being mentally strong and believing in everything I do,' she said of preparing for big moments. 'Believing in the training, believing in waking up to empower the next generation, believing in everything that has been from my younger time when I was running barefoot to where I am now. It has really given me that drive to wake up and go for training and just be strong.' She will be wearing the latest innovations from Nike, too, from her aerodynamic track suit to her spikes. Should she break the mark, it would be subject to ratification by World Athletics. Fellow Kenyan runner, longtime friend, and training partner Eliud Kipchoge has been providing emotional support. He had an event set up for him in 2019 when he ran a marathon in 1:59:40 to break the 2-hour marathon barrier at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Austria. The mark wasn't ratified by the sport's governing body. 'It will be lovely to see Eliud after the finish line,' said Kipyegon, who's a four-time world champion. 'I get positive messages from around the world that I can do it. … It really motivates me a lot going on to this challenge. I know it will not be easy, but I'm going to try my best and we will see what the finish line offers.' She's eager for the challenge to show the next generation of female runners that anything is possible. That includes her young daughter, Alyn. 'You have to dream and just be patient for it,' Kipyegon said. Same with her quest next week, which she will approach in increments. 'You have to dream of how will I cross the 800 mark? How will I cross that 1200 mark?' Kipyegon explained. 'It's the repetition of 'I have to be myself' and just think of how will I shed the seven seconds? I will feel so great if I just run after that finish line and see under four minutes. It will be historical.'


Asharq Al-Awsat
3 days ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Sabalenka Apologizes to Gauff for Post-Match Comments After French Open
Aryna Sabalenka says she has written to Coco Gauff to apologize for the 'unprofessional' comments she made following her loss to her American rival in the final of the French Open. Speaking to Eurosport Germany, the top-ranked Sabalenka said her remarks after her 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 loss to Gauff at Roland-Garros this month were a mistake. In her post-match press conference in Paris, Sabalenka had suggested that the result was more due to her own errors than to Gauff's performance. 'That was just completely unprofessional of me,' Sabalenka said. 'I let my emotions get the better of me. I absolutely regret what I said back then. You know, we all make mistakes. I'm just a human being who's still learning in life. I think we all have those days when we lose control. But what I also want to say is that I wrote to Coco afterward — not immediately, but recently.' Sabalenka hit 37 winners but finished the final with 70 unforced errors, compared to Gauff's 30. She said she wrote to Gauff to apologize and 'make sure she knew she absolutely deserved to win the tournament and that I respect her.' 'I never intended to attack her,' Sabalanka added. 'I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference. I'm not necessarily grateful for what I did. It took me a while to go back and think about it, to approach it with open eyes, and to understand. I realized a lot about myself. Why did I lose so many finals?' Sabalenka, a three-time major champion, also lost to Gauff in the 2023 US Open final, where she also won the first set. 'I kept getting so emotional,' Sabalenka added. 'So I learned a lot. Above all, one thing: I'm the one who always treats my opponents with great respect, whether I win or lose. Without that respect, I wouldn't be where I am today. So it was a tough, but very valuable lesson for me.'


Arab News
4 days ago
- Arab News
Alexxanderr wins gold as Global Champions Arabians Tour concludes fifth stage in Cannes
CANNES: The 2025 Cannes edition of the Global Champions Arabians Tour came to a close on Sunday with Alexxanderr, owned by Al-Mirqab Farm, taking home the prestigious Senior Stallion Gold Championship title. Held at the Stade de Hesperides, the fifth stage of the tour and first European stop offered a blend of world-class Arabian horse competition, cultural experiences, and Riviera glamour. A high-profile crowd of horse owners, celebrities, influencers, partners, and members of the public attended the event over three days. Bader Al-Darwish, the CEO of the Global Champions Arabians Tour, said: 'Cannes has once again proven to be a spectacular stage for our tour. 'This event reflects everything we stand for — excellence, integrity, and the celebration of Arabian horse heritage. 'Congratulations to all the winners and participants for their remarkable performances. We are honored to bring this experience to such a stunning destination and grateful for the support of our partners who made it possible.' With $1.63 million in prize money awarded across all classes, the Cannes stage once again cemented its position as a highlight of the GCAT calendar. The results will contribute to the overall tour rankings, bringing competitors closer to the prestigious Leading Male, Leading Female, and Top Handler titles. The competitors were challenging for a chance to qualify for the World Arabian Horse Championship Supreme, which is set to take place in December in Doha. Meanwhile, the tour continues to its sixth destination in the Europe and Middle East Series at Valkenswaard in the Netherlands from July 18-20.