We already reported yesterday on the effects of the armed conflicts in the Middle East on equestrian sport. Philipp Weishaupt is one of the riders who was supposed to start the Global Champions Tour in Doha next week. But the fact that this will in all likelihood be canceled is currently the least of the problems for the Riesenbecker and his colleagues, as he reported to the dpa and as you can read in the SZ, for example.

The situation for horses and grooms

His horses and a groom are still in Doha, where several competitions took place at the beginning of the year. Weishaupt finds out from his groom what the situation is like on site. “She sent me videos, the drones are flying right over the horses’ tents,” he told dpa.

He himself is no more coming to Qatar than the horses that were already waiting in Liège for their journey and were sent home again, and the plane with the grooms of these horses that turned around in the air yesterday. Philipp Weishaupt’s brother Max’s horses were among those that were only now due to fly east. He has gone home again.

“I can’t imagine that taking place,” said Philipp Weishaupt with regard to the Global Champions Tour leg. He continued: “There are more important things now. We have to see how we can get the grooms and the horses out of there safely.”

Travelers stranded

As Tagesschau.de reported late this afternoon, “thousands of travelers, including many Germans” are currently stranded in the region. Important airports such as Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are closed or are only operating to a very limited extent.