SHAH ALAM - A momentous achievement for Malaysian sports was secured at the 3rd Asian Youth Games (AYG) in Manama, Bahrain, where 15-year-old Sharifah Ariel Budriah Jamalullail clinched the nation’s first-ever equestrian gold medal.
Riding Panamera Z — a horse she had only met a week before departing — she overcame limited preparation time with remarkable instinct and trust.
On Oct 26, she clocked 29.85 seconds in the individual show jumping jump-off, a breakthrough for Malaysian equestrian sports.
“I barely had time to bond with Panamera Z, so winning never crossed my mind,” she said on Sinar Daily’s Sports Matters podcast.
“But my early rounds were smooth, and my confidence grew.”
The turning point came during warm-up when her coach asked her to attempt an angled jump — a risky line most horses would hesitate at.
“He took it without fear. Something clicked. That’s why in the jump-off, I went for a really sharp angle after the first fence. He cleared it beautifully. From there, I trusted him completely.”
Her daring run secured Malaysia’s first gold of the 2025 Games, ahead of Iraq’s Mohd Humam Harith and the UAE’s Mohd Saleh Mufrrej Ali Alkarbi.
Teammates Sonia Aisyah Abdullah and Arissa Audreyna Edzwan praised the historic win, saying Sharifah Ariel’s composure under pressure inspired the entire squad.
“Her victory wasn’t just hers — it was a huge moment for Malaysian equestrian,” Sonia said.
“From the moment she entered the arena, I believed she could do it. The connection between her and Panamera Z was undeniable,” Arissa added.
The fourth rider, Elly Poh Jia Yi, was absent from the podcast.
Sharifah Ariel, daughter of Datuk Seri Diraja Syed Amir Abidin Jamalullail of the Perlis Royal Family, has become a trailblazer for Malaysia’s next generation of equestrian athletes, proving that courage, trust and a strong partnership with a horse like Panamera Z can turn dreams into history.
On Oct 21, four young Malaysian female equestrian athletes Sharifah Ariel (15), Arissa (17), Sonia (15) and Elly (16) were announced to represent Malaysia in the Show Jumping events at the 3rd AYG 2025 in Manama, Bahrain, under national coach Shaiful Azwan.