Cayman equestrians prove best in Caribbean
Adult high point champion Tracey Surrey on Dusty
(CNS Local Life): A team of Cayman Islands riders has taken first in the adult section and second in the children’s category in the 2017 Caribbean Equestrian Association (CEA) Caribbean Dressage Challenge. The competition, in its 13th year, enables riders from CEA member countries to compete without having to travel, with a single judge instead attending the various events.
Riders are ranked individually and by country team, which consists of the top three adults and top three junior riders, based on the difficulty of the test they ride and the scores they receive.
Of the 63 competitors from Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and Trinidad, 14 riders represented Cayman.
The Cayman Islands adult team comprised Stephanie Lloyd, Tracey Surrey and Jessica McTaggart-Giuzio. Megan Swartz, Anja Van Genderen, and Abby Swartz represented the children’s team, which finished behind Bermuda in the standings.
“On behalf of the Cayman Islands Equestrian Federation (CIEF), congratulations to our riders,” said Eve van den Bol, the organisation’s president. “We are incredibly proud of their efforts and their hard work is clearly paying off. This is the first year that our adult team has won this event, and they won with a sizeable lead ahead of Bermuda. Our junior team also produced outstanding results, especially given that they are a relatively young group.”
Individually, Cayman riders fared well this year against their Caribbean counterparts. Highlights included winning three of the top five places in Adult First Level; first, second and third places in Adult Training Level and four of the top seven spots in Children’s Training Level.
Tracey Surrey, riding Dusty, was the high point champion for the overall competition in Adult First Level Test 3 with a score of 72.265%. Jodie McTaggart took first place in Adult Fourth Level riding Ray of Light, a veteran to competition having participated in the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2010 and the Pan Am Games in 2011.
Below are Cayman’s individual results in the competition:
Adult Fourth Level Test 1
1st – Jodie McTaggart on Ray of Light
Adult Third Level Test 1
2nd – Jessica McTaggart-Giuzio on Loris 7
Adult Second Level Test 3
2nd – Jessica McTaggart-Giuzio on Relation T
Adult First Level Test 3
1st – Tracey Surrey on Dusty
4th – Sydney Crowley on Calidad
5th – Charlotte Hinds on Sunday’s Edition
Adult Training Level Test 3
1st – Stephanie Lloyd on Lilly
2nd – Jessica McTaggart-Giuzio on Moon Lady
3rd – Sydney Crowley on Calidad
8th – Eve van den Bol on Whindlass
Children’s Second Level Test 3
2nd – Anja van Genderen on Joey
Children’s First Level Test 3
5th – Anja van Genderen on Joey
6th – Abby Swartz on Blue Ridge Dream On
Children’s Training Level Test 3
3rd – Megan Swartz on Zeus
5th – Lara Humphries on Storm
6th – Eva Muspratt on Oscar
7th – Kayla Mannisto on Pony Up
9th – Leah Alberga on Fly By Me
The CIEF annual awards gala is set for Saturday, 24 June at the Holiday Inn.
Category: Equestrian, Sports
