Sara Baban and Vitus will not be competing at the 2026 Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan, on 24 - 27 September 2026. This leaves Saudi Arabia without a team.
Baban and Vitus
Baban's Vitus is a 13-year old Westfalian gelding by Vitalis out of Bella Donna (by Brentano II x Likoto xx). He is bred by Michael and Wilhelm Rüther-Rhode and owned by the Arl family. Under Mate Garai he represented Hungary at the 2025 European Dressage Championships in Crozet, France.
Baban purchased the gelding as her Asian Games hopeful in December 2025 and trains with Anne van Olst in The Netherlands, while being based in Belgium herself.
Baban has been competing for Saud Arabia in show jumping as of 2010. She made her CDI debut in dressage in Riyadh in December 2024. With Vitus she began her Asian Games qualification campaign in Tolbert, followed by Fontainebleau, Exloo and Lier. Her high score was 64.118% in the Inter I at the CDI Exloo.
"Unfortunately I will not be going Vitus had a little injury that will not allow him to be physically fit to compete in time," Baban told Eurodressage. "So with my team vet we decided that his welfare and well being comes before anything and we will not be taking him to quarantine. We are sure that he will make a full recovery and I am deeply gutted and saddened but his needs come before my own ambition
Asian Games: 9 Teams, 11 Individuals
Saudi Arabia will continue to be represented by individuals Saminta Alsaifi (Kreyade) and Ahmed Sharbatly (Hawkeye) who are still on the definite entry list.
Forty-six riders in total will now compete at the Asian Games. Only one of them will ride at Grand Prix level.
Photos © Astrid Appels
Related Links
Eurodressage Coverage of the Asian Games
Jochen Arl Sells Vitus as Asian Games and L.A. Olympic Hopeful to Saudi Arabia