FEI Asian Equestrian Championships 2025

The 2025 FEI Asian Equestrian Championships marked a long-awaited revival of the continent’s premier multisport equestrian event. Hosted at the Thai Polo and Equestrian Club in Pattaya, Thailand, the Championships returned for the first time since their inaugural edition in 2019, bringing together athletes from across the region for top level competition in Dressage, Para Dressage, Jumping, Eventing and Endurance.

The return of this event reflects a broader surge in equestrian development across Asia. As Amanda Bond told us during the Championships, “equestrian sport in Asia is growing hugely right now and over the last few years we have seen really rapid development.” The 2025 edition set out to showcase exactly that growth across disciplines, nations and athlete pathways.

Dressage

Dressage drew one of the largest entries of the Championships, underlining a shift within the region. Bond emphasised this evolution directly, saying “it used to be in Asia that jumping was very much the dominant discipline, but what we are seeing now is talent coming through in the other disciplines and the largest discipline here has been dressage and really high quality dressage.”

Pakjira Thongpakdi of Thailand celebrates winning bronze during the Intermediate I dressage individual championship at the Thai Polo Club on November 27, 2025 in Pattaya, Thailand. Image: ©FEI/Yong Teck Lim

More than twenty athletes contested the team and individual medals, with India delivering a particularly strong campaign, securing team silver and celebrating their most successful continental dressage showing to date. Other nations showcased riders demonstrating the increasing technicality and confidence now emerging across Asia. The standard reflects long-term investment and, as Bond summarised, “a rapid improvement in horsepower… compared to 2019, the horsepower at these Championships is phenomenal.” This upturn in quality was unmistakable in the dressage arena.

Sarah Rao and Geniaal secured the individual gold with a composed and expressive performance worth 73.794%. The silver medal went to Shruti Vora and Magnanimous, who delivered India’s strongest individual test of the Championships, while Pakjira Thongpakdi and Samira O claimed bronze with a polished and confident ride for Thailand.

In the team competition, Thailand Dressage Team rose to the occasion on home soil to win gold. The squad of Pakjira Thongpakdi and Samira O, Suphawadee Pakkaratorn and Walentino, Narumon Rameewong and Don Romeo, and Supaporn Kaikaew and C’est Bon produced the most consistent set of tests across both days. India Dressage Team earned the silver medal thanks to solid rides from Shruti Vora and Magnanimous, Gurpreet Beniwal and Donnatella, Anush Agarwalla and Etro, and Rakesh Kumar and Ashwin. The bronze medal was awarded to Thailand’s second team, reflecting the nation’s depth in the discipline at this edition of the Championships.

Para Dressage

Gemma Rose Foo of Singapore riding Mona Lisa during the para dressage freestyle individual championship at the on November 30, 2025 in Pattaya, Thailand. Image: ©FEI/Yong Teck Lim

For the first time, Para Dressage was included in the Asian Championships, one of the most significant developments of 2025. Singapore delivered the standout performance in Para Dressage, securing the team title through a series of confident and consistent tests. The nation’s leading Para athlete added further distinction to the campaign by sweeping the individual gold medals across her grades, demonstrating precision, composure and a level of experience that set her ahead of the field. With multiple podium finishes and the strongest collective scores, Singapore established itself as the benchmark nation in the inaugural Para Dressage programme of the Asian Championships.

Showjumping

Jumping maintained its traditional popularity but now sits within a more balanced championship format. Riders from across Asia contested technical tracks designed to test scope, carefulness and consistency, with the final culminating in a dramatic finish. A new champion emerged after delivering a fault-free final round, signalling the arrival of fresh talent at regional level.

The team gold in Jumping was claimed by the Japan Jumping Team. Their winning squad included Taizo Sugitani, riding Quincy 194, along with Tomoki Koshidaka (Cortis de Nyze Z), Kei Okubo (Quick Casall) and Kazuki Takizawa (Crn Digger). Their final clear round, sealed by Sugitani’s anchor ride, secured the historic team gold. The silver medal in the team competition went to Kuwait Jumping Team. Their riders held a disciplined and cohesive performance across the rounds, with veteran anchor Ali Al Khorafi delivering clear rounds in the final rotation to cement second place.

Eventing

Eventing returned with growing momentum, as the discipline continues to expand in Asia, benefiting from increased professionalisation of national development programmes. As Bond explained, “so many of the countries in Asia are putting support around their athletes and their horses, enabling them to get better and better results.”

These strengthened development programmes were reflected in disciplined riding, more experienced horses and improved confidence in the cross country phase, showcasing some of the strongest partnerships seen in the region to date. Ashish Limaye and Willy Be Dun secured the individual gold after producing a bold cross country round and a faultless show jumping performance to finish on their dressage score. Patrick Lam and Jockey Club Highdown March took silver with a polished final phase that kept them narrowly ahead of Arinadtha Chavatanont and Boleybawn Prince, who claimed bronze for Thailand after a determined and consistent campaign across all three phases.

The Eventing Team Gold went to Thailand Eventing Team, comprised of Arinadtha Chavatanont and Boleybawn Prince, Korntawat Samran and Maximus, Weerapat Pitakanonda and Carnival March, and Supanut Wannakit and Tzar of Dreams, finishing on a combined score of 117.6. India Eventing Team took silver on 121.8, led by Ashish Limaye and Willy Be Dun, supported by Meera Viswanathan and Koach Me, Pragnesh Malji and Captain, and Johan Saldanha and Go for It. Bronze went to Hong Kong, China Eventing Team on 122.9, represented by Patrick Lam and Jockey Club Highdown March, Thomas Heffernan Ho and Tayberry, Clarissa Lyra and Bold Arrow, and Annie Ho and Jockey Club Miss Matilda. The tight spread between the top three teams highlighted the increasingly competitive nature of Eventing in Asia.

Endurance

Endurance also featured in the 2025 Championships for the first time, marking a major step in broadening the competitive framework. Saeed Ahmad Jaber Abdulla Al Harbi delivered a decisive performance to claim the individual gold medal, completing the demanding course with consistency and control. His victory added further significance to the discipline’s first appearance at the Asian Championships, underscoring the growing depth and competitiveness of endurance riding within the region.

Endurance's addition supports the long-term goal of expanding the sport’s reach beyond established hubs and addressing Asia’s varied equestrian traditions.

Images: Saeed Ahmad Jaber Abdulla Al Harbi of the UAE celebrates with Ras Flor Del Pago and his crew after finishing the endurance individual and team championships at the Thai Polo Club on November 2, 2025; Egor Shchibrik of Palestine riding Crack HV celebrates winning gold during the jumping individual championship final on December 7, 2025; Patrick Lam of Hong Kong, China, riding Jockey Club Highdown March during the eventing cross-country test on December 2, 2025. ©FEI/Yong Teck Lim. Copyright ©FEI/Yong Teck Lim. Image: ©FEI/Yong Teck Lim

Significance and Broader Impact

The Championships served as a mirror for the rapid advancement of equestrian sport across Asia. Investment from private owners, national federations and government bodies has raised the quality of horses and facilities. Bond summarised the shift clearly: “Countries finding funding is helping to increase the quality of horsepower and therefore improving the performances we see in Asia.”

Another defining feature is Asia’s collaborative spirit. Bond highlighted this as a distinguishing strength: “We have not lost that ability to pull together, work together, collaborate and just really help each other. You see many of the nations supporting each other and genuinely excited about each other’s successes.”

In contrast to highly commercialised and competitive circuits elsewhere, the Asian region continues to prioritise shared development, mutual support and long-term growth. Asia’s performance rise is already being reflected globally. Bond noted the increasing presence of Asian nations at the highest levels: “We are already starting to see Asian nations represented at Olympic Games. We have seen that with China, with Thailand, and a medal from Japan.”

For broader insight, read our full interview with Amanda Bond, who expands on the forces shaping the future of equestrian sport across Asia.

Looking Ahead: Pathways, Youth and Regional Integration

The next major challenge for Asian equestrian sport is structural rather than competitive. Horse movement remains one of the most significant obstacles. Bond acknowledged this openly, noting that “the free movement of horses amongst Asian nations is very difficult… restrictive movement protocols make it challenging.” Solving this would allow Asia to host more high-level competitions, enable athletes to remain based within the region and ultimately, as Bond put it, “have Asian athletes qualifying for Olympic Games here rather than qualifying in Europe.”

Youth development is another priority, with Bond stating that “all of the national federations are working together to develop the young people coming through.” This expanding talent pipeline will be central to Asia’s ambitions of becoming a medal winning force at world and Olympic level over the coming decade.

The Shift Taking Shape

The 2025 FEI Asian Equestrian Championships were far more than a competition. They were a statement about the region’s future. With higher quality horses, stronger development pathways, broader discipline representation and the landmark inclusion of Para Dressage and Endurance, the Championships illustrate a region stepping confidently onto the world stage.

As Amanda Bond summarised, “in five years and beyond we are going to see an increasing dominance from some of the Asian nations”, and the 2025 Championships suggest that trajectory is already well underway.