Sameh el Dahan switches to ride for Britain

EGYPIAN show jumper Sameh el Dahan has declared to ride for Britain going forward. The 2018 Spruce Meadows Grand Prix winner has been based at Joanne Sloan Allen’s Sycamore Stables in Templepatrick, Co Antrim, for 10 years.

Following a public fall out with the Egyptian Equestrian Federation surrounding el Dahan’s non-selection for the Tokyo Olympic Games, Sloan Allen released a statement to say el Dahan “made the decision that he could no longer continue his career to the level that he wants to whilst he was still under the control of the Egyptian Equestrian Federation.

“I am now proud to support Sam in his change of sport nationality to team Great Britain,” Sloan Allen said. “Having lived in Ireland for the last 10 years, it is the natural progression of his sporting career to British Equestrian and it was a tough decision made a lot easier by the welcome he received from the team manager Di Lampard and indeed the whole of Team GB equestrian who have made him feel a welcome and valuable addition to their team.”

Abdel Said, who represented Egypt at the Tokyo Olympic Games aboard Bandit Savoie, has also changed nationality and is now listed at representing Belgium on the FEI database.