Nayel Nassar is a Professional Egyptian equestrian and showjumper born in Chicago, Illinois. He is best known for being the husband of Jennifer Gates (eldest daughter of Bill Gates). He played the prime role in Egypt’s equestrian qualification for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Wiki/Biography
Nayel Nassar was born on Monday, January 21, 1991 (age 32 years; as of 2023) in Chicago, Illinois. His zodiac sign is Aquarius. He was born into an Egyptian family. He has Arab ethnicity and was raised in the middle east in the city of Kuwait, where his parents Fouad Nassar (Father) and Iman Harby (Mother) run a firm of architecture and interior designing. Nayel Nassar finished his schooling at the American School of Kuwait in Hawally, Kuwait. Later, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University, California, in 2013. At the age of 5, he tried the equestrian sport for the first time and started jump show training at the age of 10 when his parents bought him his first horse. Nayel Nassar qualified for the FEI World Cup Finals in 2013, 2014 and 2017, 2018.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 6′ 2″
Eye Color: Black
Hair color: Black
Family
Nayel Nassar has Egyptian descent. Nayel reportedly comes from a moneyed family.
Parents & Siblings
His parents “Fouad Nassar” (Father) and “Iman Harby” (Mother) together run an architecture and interior designing firm “Diwan Interiors International” in Kuwait. They have played a prominent role in the initial equestrian training of their son Nayel. In the initial years of his training with horses, there were moments when Nayel wanted to quit, but his parents kept encouraging him to keep going.
Nayel Nassar with his parents Iman Harby and Fouad Nassar
Nayel has an elder brother “Sharaf Nassar” who has graduated from the “University of Southern California” and is currently managing his family business.
A childhood picture of Nayel Nassar with his elder brother Sharaf Nassar
Wife & Children
After dating for more than three years, Nayel got engaged to Jennifer Gates (eldest daughter of Bill Gates) on January 29, 2020. The couple shares a mutual fascination for horses, which could be one of the reasons for their prolonged relationship. Both Nayel and Jennifer compete in the “Global Champions League” (Equestrian league) from the same team “Paris Panthers”.
On October 17, 2021, he got married to Jennifer Gates at Jenn and Nayel’s farm in Westchester County, New York.
Jennifer Gates and Nayel Nassar’s wedding photo
In March 2023, Jennifer and Nayel, were blessed with a baby girl. [1]Jennifer Gates – Instagram
Career (Equestrian)
Nayel Nassar is a professional Egyptian equestrian. Nassar started training for Jumping in 2001, at the age of 10, when his parents bought him his first horse. Nassar competes internationally for “Egypt” (his parent’s country of origin). Apart from this, he is a contender of “Paris Panthers” for the “Global Champions League”. Nassar qualified for the FEI World Cup Finals in 2013, 2014, and 2017 (won), and the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2014.
Nayel Nassar with his Horse Lucifer V during a jump show in the 1m55 GP qualifier in Valkenswaard
Nassar has accomplished a lot in his equestrian career lately, from ranking 330th in October 2018 to climbing to 35th rank in November 2019. Ever since then, he hasn’t looked back. He stands on 41st spot in current (February 2020) Longines Rankings. Probably, Nassar’s biggest and the most recent accomplishment is qualifying for the “Tokyo Olympics 2020.” The Egyptian Equestrian team qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics By winning “Morocco Royal tour – CSIO4*-W Rabat 2019” on October 19.
Team Egypt after winning “Morocco Royal tour – CSIO4*-W Rabat 2019” on October 19
Nassar will be representing Egypt at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Awards & Honors
- 1st place on Lordan – Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Las Vegas
- 1st place on Lucifer – Las Vegas National Horse Show Winning Round CSI 3*
- 1st place on Lordan – Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Del Mar (2016) Prize money – 10,000 USD
- 7th place on Lordan – Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Langley
- 2nd place on Lucifer – Longines Global Champions Tour Valkenswaard CSI 5*
- 2019 LGCT Hamburg Silver Medalist with Lucifer
- 1st place on Lucifer V – New York Masters CSI5* Grand Prix (2013)
- 1st place on Lucifer V – Rabat CSIO4* Designated Olympic Qualifier
Recent Global Champions tour season
2019 season
€ 180,866
16th in GCT Ranking of 2019
2018 season
Winnings – € 22,725
Ranking – 105th in GCT Ranking of 2018
2017 season
Winnings – € 11,420
Ranking – 73rd in GCT Ranking of 2017
Apart from these, Nayel has a plethora of achievements to his name.
Business
The obsession with riding and horses doesn’t end with just competing in the equestrian sport. Nayel embarked on a business of horses that started circa 2008. After being gypsy travelers for a few years, Nassar Stables LLC (Wholesale Horse dealing company owned by Nayel) eventually got registered (as per Secretory of State) as a Domestic on May 21, 2014, and found its base in Bumann Rd, Encinitas, CA 92024, USA in January 2015.
Facts & Trivia
- Nassar has been riding horses since the age of 5.
A childhood picture of Nayel Nassar riding a horse
- Nayel Nassar considers the popular German equestrian, Ludger Beerbaum, as his equestrian idol.
German equestrian Ludger Beerbaum
- Nassar is multilingual and is fluent in Arab, English, French, and German.
- Both Nayel Nassar and Jennifer Gates, are Stanford graduates. Nassar graduated from Stanford University, California in 2013, and then Jennifer graduated from the same university in 2018.
- Lucifer, Lutz, and Lordon are three of his favorite horses.
Nayel Nassar with one of his favorite horses Lucifer V in Longlines Global Champions Tour at Hamburg
- Nassar will be representing the team Egypt in the forthcoming Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020.
References
| ↑1 | Jennifer Gates – Instagram |
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