Team Cayman poised to win gold
On Saturday 8th March, riders from the Equestrian Centre and Cayman Riding School converged on the Equestrian Centre for the 2014 FEI World Dressage Challenge (“WDC”). This international competition is designed to promote the art of dressage in countries where equestrian sport is still at a developmental stage.
Two FEI judges flew into Cayman on Friday in preparation to judge the competition on Saturday. The same judges had already visited Barbados, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda to judge equivalent competitions in those countries, before coming to Cayman.
Elke Ebert of Germany and Anders Sucksdorff of Finland were impressed by the quality of dressage talent in Cayman. “Cayman has really improved in the past year with its dressage riders,” commented Ebert, who visited the island 12 months ago to judge the same competition. The improvements were self evident in the results. At the time of going to press, Team Cayman was sitting in first place in the Caribbean overall with only Jamaica left to ride later this week.
This year the Best Presented Horse – Child’s Award went to Hannah Fowler and her dappled grey warmblood, Seligkeit, and the Adult’s Award went to Jessica McTaggart-Giuzio and her horse, Loris 7.
In the adults’ Preliminary Test, Tracey Surrey took first place on SonRise David with 69.66%. Jessica McTaggart-Giuzio was a close second on Loris 7, with Polly Serpell on Calidad in third and Regina Nowak in fourth on Leonora.
The Elementary Test is also divided into separate children’s and adults’ tests and in the child class, Phoebe Serpell took first place on Sunday’s Edition with Lexi Bodden winning the adult class on Relation. Second was Jessica McTaggart-giuzio on Loris 7 and third was Polly Serpell on Partenon.
Lexi Bodden and Relation also took first place in the Medium Test with Charlotte Hinds on Monroe Carr in second place.
High Point Awards in the WDC were awarded to Tracey Surrey, as the highest scoring adult, and Phoebe Serpell, as the highest scoring child.
The CIEF is extremely grateful to Sunshine Suites for its generous and continued support and sponsorship of the CIEF through assistance with the provision of accommodation for visiting judges.
For further information please contact Pamela Fowler on 916 4312 or [email protected]