Al-Kumeiti "didn't expect to win" in Doha but then his flawless performance on Diabolo 244 in 34.17 seconds kept all other contenders at an arm's length. Al-Owais rode Bashair and was a distant second in 37.88 seconds while al-Junaibi on Cultivee took 38.94second to finish the course.

Al-Kumeiti's added yet another trophy to his heaving showcase which already has silverware earned around the world. "I won here last year but to be frank I was not expecting to defend the title this time round," said the champion.

"The competition was too tough and especially from my own countrymen," said al-Kumeiti. As many as 11 riders from the UAE were trying their luck in the event, including the youngest rider in the championship Shakhbout bin Nahyan al-Nahyan who finished 39th on his gelding ABC Caddy.

"My horse was very good and behaved itself nicely," said al-Kumeiti. "It took all the jumps correctly and without hesitation. Obstacles 5A-B were the toughest because the stride upto the second hurdle was very difficult."

The top four riders had a clear run in the qualifying and final rounds and only the time involved decided the winner. "Owais is a very good rider and he won in Dubai . I was hardput to match his timing," said al-Kumeiti.

Qatari riders failed to impress on the opening day and Ali Yousef al-Romaihi on Logo 28 finished within the top 10 in ninth place. He was almost five seconds adrift of the leader. Another Qatari Mubarak al-Romaihi was 14th on Canister while Badr Mohamed al-Darwish was 18th on Cameloti.

Ace Bahraini riders Sami Ghazwan on Coska Des Toufles and Abbas al-Ghuraifi on local-bred Tawi drew a blank despite an excellent qualifying round. Twenty-four riders made it to the jump-off from a total of 74. Leading the jump-off list was Abdulla al-Sharbatli of Saudi Arabia , followed closely by eventual winner al-Kumeiti.

Earlier, Qatar Equestrian Federation chief Sheikh Hamad bin Ali al-Thani inaugurated the competition by welcoming all the participants. He thanked HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani for their continuous support for the equine sport which is a part of the Arab heritage.

The event continues on Thursday with the second stage of the Pan-Arab Championship starting at 17.30hours. Friday being rest day the final stage will be held on Saturday.