The UAE dressage team has landed in Tokyo, and this time they have arrived with experience. Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri, Bianca Schütz, Mohamed Jassim Al Serkal and Natalie Lankester will represent the UAE at the JRA Equestrian Park, where the dressage competition runs from September 25-27, 2026.

It is the country's second appearance in Asian Games dressage, following a debut at Hangzhou 2023 that ended with a sixth-place team finish.

The riders are not only exceptionally talented, but they are kind, adore their horses, and really represent the UAE's vision of excellence.

And the entire UAE equestrian community can't wait to cheer them on!

Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri, riding Lotus-S

Al Jahouri built his reputation as one of the UAE's top endurance riders before moving into dressage, and Tokyo marks his second Asian Games in the discipline after helping the team to its sixth-place finish in Hangzhou aboard Ecencka. His new partner, Lotus-S, a 10-year-old KWPN gelding by Grand Galaxy Win, has been competing internationally with him since October 2025 and arrives in Japan with a solid run of Small Tour results across Europe behind him. You can follow him here.

Bianca Schütz, riding Le Grand Ayden HB

Also making her second Asian Games appearance, Schütz represented the UAE in Hangzhou aboard Fearless WS. Her current partnership with the 10-year-old KWPN stallion Le Grand Ayden HB only began last October but has already produced strong results, including a win in the Intermediate I Freestyle at CDI1* Kronberg in June. She currently sits 33rd in the FEI's CDI1*/CDIO1* Dressage World Ranking. You can follow her here.

Mohamed Jassim Al Serkal, riding Zen Liquidity

Al Serkal made his UAE team debut in Hangzhou aboard Hermes V and returns to the Games with a new partner in Zen Liquidity, a combination he has built since the start of 2026. The pair's season peaked in February with an overall championship win in the CDI1* Small Tour in Abu Dhabi, a result that doubled as an important qualifying score on the road to Tokyo. You can follow his journey here (and his adorable dogs)!

Natalie Lankester, riding Tesla DXB

Lankester holds the UAE's best individual dressage result at the Asian Games, having finished 12th in Hangzhou and become the first UAE dressage rider to reach an individual Freestyle final at the Games. In Tokyo she partners Tesla DXB, a 2015 KWPN stallion, in a combination formed only in April 2026. You can follow her riding journey here!

Building on a first appearance

The UAE returns to Tokyo with a team shaped by a longer international campaign and the experience of having done this once before. The federation's push into dressage is still a relatively young one by UAE equestrian standards, with the sport's national competition history dating mainly to the 2010s, so a second consecutive Asian Games team entry marks real continuity rather than a one-off effort.

The dressage team is part of a much larger UAE delegation at these Games. The UAE Olympic Committee has confirmed 165 athletes competing across 23 sports and disciplines in Aichi-Nagoya, spanning everything from athletics and swimming to equestrian, padel and esports, making this one of the country's largest multi-sport international campaigns to date.

Following the team

UAEERF, at uaeerf.ae, remains the best source for confirmed ride times and results. The FEI's official Asian Games equestrian page also carries entries, officials and technical handbooks for anyone following the competition in detail.

How to watch if you're in the UAE

beIN Sports holds the official broadcast rights for the Asian Games across the Middle East and North Africa, so UAE viewers can follow the dressage live through beIN Sports channels or the beIN Sports Connect app with an active subscription.

Japan Standard Time runs five hours ahead of the UAE, so sessions starting in the morning in Tokyo will land in the early afternoon locally. For those without a subscription, the official Aichi-Nagoya 2026 channels and the Olympic Council of Asia site post results and highlights as each session wraps up.