Local riders show off dressage skills

(CNS): Cayman’s dressage riders put their skills to the test last weekend in the first of the Cayman Islands Equestrian Federation’s National Dressage Shows for the 2014/15 season. Organisers said the high point award in the junior division went to Saskia Drake on Me and My Shadow with 68.409% in training level test 3 and in the adult division Madeleine Aquart on Coco Pop for her USDF B test score of 65.938. The most difficult tests were the USEF 3rd level tests in the adult division. Charlotte Hinds took 1st place in the test 3 Class, Jessica McTaggart-Giuzio took 1st in test 2 Class with Thea Millward in 2nd and in Test 1 class Thea Millward was 1st, Polly Serpell 2nd and Alexandra Bodden 3rd.

In the USEF second level, one step down in difficulty, Alexandra Bodden was 1st in the adult test 3 class and Phoebe Serpell was1st in the test 1 juniors.

In the USEF First Level Tests, Isabelle Smith was first in Test 3 (Adult s) and Phoebe Serpell was first in the Test 3 (Juniors). In Test 2 (Juniors), Anja van Genderen was first with Ashley van den Bol in second. In the Test 1 (Adults), Madeleine Aquart was first and in the Test 1 (Juniors), Hannah Fowler was first with Anja van Genderen in second. Hannah Fowler was also first in the FEI Preliminary Test.

In the USEF Training Level Tests, Saskia Drake took first place in the Test 3 and 2 Juniors, followed by Basil Humphries in second place in the Test 3 class. In the Adult Test 1 class Tanja Braendle was placed first, Juliette Forrester second and Amara Thompson third. Rounding out this level was Hannah Fowler in first place in the Test 1 class (Juniors), Eva Muspratt in second, Abbey Swartz in third, Chloe Fowler in fourth, Jenna Boucher in fifth and Megan Swartz in sixth.

The introductory classes of the day, where novice riders showcase their skills, are the UDSF B and C classes. These classes had many new riders or new horses making their debut. Clinching first place in the B class for the Juniors was Kayla Mannisto, closely followed by Lara Humphries in second, Skye Buckley in third, Kyra Slattery in fourth, Shayla Ebanks in fifth and Laney Bodden in sixth.

In the Adult category, Madeleine Aquart took first with Alexandra Bodden in second and Georgia Austin in third. In the C class Juniors, rounding off the day, was Megan Swartz in first pace with Jenna Boucher in second, Abbey Swartz in third, Eva Muspratt in fourth, Lea Rado in fifth and Shayla Ebanks in sixth.

Cindy Thaxton, who hosted coaching clinics prior to the competition and who was judge on the day said, “It was a pleasure to see riders applying basics like forward with bend to bring about reach into the contact. It appears the CIEF has a deep base for developing the future of the sport.”

The CIEF split the dressage show between two venues; the Equestrian Centre and the Cayman Riding School as a result of numbers

The CIEF’s next dressage show is on Sunday 18 January and will be judged by Austrian judge, Victoire Mandl, who will be visiting Barbados and Cayman to offer dressage tips to riders of both federations.