From Trinidad Express newspapers

Patrice Stollmeyer, aboard Monte Carlo, erased previous highs by recording a score of 75.172 per cent in the Preliminary Adult test recently, the highest ever recorded by a T&T rider.

Currently second to her is Angela Halloran-Smith of Bermuda with 72.241 per cent, and Lackife Leslie from Jamaica in third with 70.690 per cent.

The Caribbean Equestrian Association (CEA) is fresh from holding its annual Mini Dressage Challenge over the last few weeks of May, into June.

And Team T&T turned in a super performance, with their Adult team currently second to Bermuda, and their Children’s team also second, to Jamaica. The Cayman Islands remains the last territory to turn in their scores on June 16th, when their home leg of the event will be held.

This is a regional competition where national teams from Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Jamaica compete against one another, and the riders are able to compete using their own horses.

Once each leg of the competition in every island is completed, the scores are compiled and the ranking of the riders and their horses in each category is determined. This year, the judge for the event was Merrilyn Griffin, of Wellington, Florida licensed by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), Griffin was awarded the US Dressage Federation Silver and Bronze medals with her horse AQHA’s Royal Viking.

A dozen of T&T top Dressage riders entered this year’s competition, and each individual rider was ranked, and the national team selected on competition day based on highest scores attained on the day.

Besides Stollmeyer, T&T Adult riders also performed well in the Elementary Adult test.

T&T’s Franka Costelloe, riding Viking Thunder, is currently second in the region, tied with Susan Wates from Jamaica with 68.243 per cent, just a breath off the first place mark set by Michelle Ingham of Bermuda (68.473 per cent). Closing off the adult competition was the Medium test level, and T&T rider Nevine Boccara performed well on her Saxon Dan with a first place score of 66.875 per cent, ahead of Bermuda’s Ashley Gibbbs with 63.875 per cent.

T&T young and upcoming riders Amber Thompson, Hadley Rahael and Kahlan Chin formed the Children’s Team, and left no doubt that T&T will be well represented for many competitions to come. In the Elementary Child test, Thompson placed first locally on Highly Esteemed with a score of 67.432 per cent, the highest for the region in many years.

She also placed first locally in the Preliminary Child test, again on Highly Esteemed with a score of 69.483 per cent, but she needs to keep up the pace to stay ahead of Hadley Rahael and Zeus who were right on their heels with 69.138 per cent.

For more on this story go to:

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/Dressage-record-for-TTs-Stollmeyer-211322601.html