Rider gets top score in regional dressage contest

(CIEF): In the first week of March Cayman Islands Equestrian Federation riders had the opportunity to ride in a National Dressage Show before an overseas foreign judge appointed by the Federation Equestre Internationale, the horse world’s global governing body. Cayman is defending its title in the regional contest and Meegan Slattery (left) clocked an outstanding score of 76.875% on her horse Max which should go some way to help the local riders retain the trophy. The Judge, Anders Sucksdorff of Finland, was in Cayman to judge the prestigious World Dressage Challenge and agreed in addition, to judge local riders in various tests.

Riders enter a test appropriate to their stage of riding and the breadth of tests on offer is enormous.

The younger children beginning on their ‘dressage journey’ entered the USDF ‘B’ and ‘C’ tests which develop a rider’s  ability to guide their horse in the walk, trot and canter gaits. In the ‘B’ test, Meegan Slattery continued her winning streak with an amazing score of 76.875% on Max.

This was an unusually high score for this Test. The CIEF Board of Directors subsequently awarded Slattery a special High Point Award to mark her success in this test. Second was Eva Muspratt with 70.625%, making her debut on her recently imported pony, Oscar. Third was Leah Alberga on Twinkle with 64% and fourth was Jenna Boucher on Katrina with 60%.

Slattery also took first place in the ‘C’ test on Max with 64.75% with Muspratt and Oscar in second with 63%.

Regina Nowack and Leonora took first in the USEF First Level Test 3 with 64.677%. In the USEF Training Level Test 3 open class, Tracey Surrey and SonRise David took first with 68% and Ashley van den Bol and EWSZ Carmella took second with 63.2%.

Experienced dressage rider, Thea Millward, rode Kartouche in the Medium Test and scored 63.438%, taking first place. Millward is too young to ride this class in the FEI’s World Dressage Challenge as it is normally a test reserved for adults due to its difficulty.

Millward’s skills are certainly up for the task though, and there will be no stopping her next year when she turns 15 and will be able to enter the class as an ‘adult’.

It is hoped the rules of the FEI WDC will be changed to allow talented young riders, like Millward, to enter the WDC at these advanced levels. It is a testament to the equestrian talent developing on island that junior riders like Millward are now beyond the skill level anticipated even at international level.

The next dressage competition, the Caribbean Equestrian Association’s Dressage Competition, takes place on 1st June. Riders in Cayman are judged against their Caribbean counterparts in Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda. As this was a competition Cayman won last year, CIEF riders will be fiercely defending their title this year in the hope of bringing home the silverware once more.