Welcome back! It’s good to be back at the barn and back in the saddle. The new Equestrian season begins on October 1, 2020. We begin as always by encouraging riders and horse enthusiasts of every age and level to join or renew your membership in Equestrian Bahamas.

There’s no denying that things will look different this year – from the necessary safety protocols we follow at the barn, to the still-uncertain status of our horse shows. Due to the long layoff since the outbreak of COVID, we plan to have a truncated competition season, running from January-May 2021. In the interim, we will continue to emphasize fitness, horsemanship education, and technical development for riders and coaches in lieu of competition.

Please note that membership fees remain unchanged this year, as due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of EB voted unanimously to repeal the fee increase that had been approved at the 2019 AGM.

In keeping with the ‘new normal’ we are offering an online payment option. Membership payments may be made by cheque through your trainer (cheques should be made payable to Equestrian Bahamas), or by direct deposit. Please contact [email protected] for deposit details. If paying online, please note the name of the EB member on whose behalf the payment is being made. Please direct any further questions regarding membership payments to Mrs. Sabrina Wong at [email protected].

EB membership opens vistas of opportunity, exposure and education for members at every level. Our status as a National Federation of the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) and a Member Region of the US-based Interscholastic Equestrian Association affords our coaches and riders access to a wide range of educational opportunities, scholarships and technical development initiatives. Our engagement in international and local partnerships, particularly with the Bahamas Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and the Bahamas Olympic Committee, helps to make equestrian sport accessible to a broad spectrum of Bahamian youth.

Equestrian Bahamas is also committed to the welfare of the horse. Just as last year we helped to provide thousands of dollars in horse feed, barn and medical supplies and other equipment to assist the barns in Grand Bahama which were affected by Hurricane Dorian, this year we are able to offer our member barns in New Providence assistance to offset the costs of equine husbandry and upkeep during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In short, your membership fees support the development of our sport, the facilitation of training and competition, equine relief efforts and other social outreach programmes to bring the joy of equestrian sport to the wider community! We rely on your support!

I invite you to check out all that we do and explore the links to our partner organizations through our website at www.equestrianbahamas.org. We value your participation, and your voice, while your contribution helps to provide us with the resources we need to continue to promote and develop equestrian sport in The Bahamas. Thank you again for your support!

Cathy Ramsingh-Pierre, President

Equestrian Bahamas hopes that you and your loved ones remain safe and well in these challenging times. We remain dedicated to the safety and welfare of horses, athletes, trainers, staff, spectators and all those involved in the equine industry. As we find our way to the “new normal”, it is important to plan for the future. In this spirit of hope and progress, we would like to provide some important updates.

As we anticipate the gradual re-opening of lesson programs, we must do everything we can to mitigate the risk of transmission of COVID-19. Barns may take a different paths in their approaches to becoming fully operational, based on their needs and resources. We ask that you please respect and adhere to all barn-implemented policies regarding hygiene, apparel, scheduling, social distancing, etc., as these are guided by the applicable policies of world and domestic health authorities and supplemented with sport-specific considerations. Thank you for your co- operation in this regard.

The COVID-19 pandemic unceremoniously interrupted the 2019-2020 horse show season. Given the protracted nature of this interruption, the Equestrian Bahamas Horse Show Committee wishes to advise that the 2019-2020 horse show season has now officially ended. Further, members are advised of the following:

a) Point standings for all rated Hunter, Equitation and Jumper Divisions as of February 29, 2020, will be regarded as Final point standings for the 2019-2020 season.

b) Point standings for BIEL shows as of February 29, 2020, will be regarded as the final BIEL placings for the 2019-2020 season.

c) End of Year Awards for the 2019-2020 season in Hunter, Equitation and Jumper Divisions will be granted according to said point standings.

d) End of Year Awards for the 2019-2020 season in Hunter, Equitation and Jumper Divisions will be awarded separately from, but during the same ceremony as, the 2020-2021 End of Year Awards.

e) Annual Championships and Special Awards (such as the Bahamas Junior Classic Final, the BIEL Championship, and the Equestrian Bahamas Junior Sportsmanship Award) will not be awarded for the 2019-2020 show season.

f) No horse or rider will be allowed to carry or transfer division points, qualification status, or age eligibility for any prize, award or competition from the 2019-2020 season to the 2020-2021 season.

We regret any inconvenience to our members that this may cause, but we thank you for your consideration.

A final word of thanks must go out to all our barn managers, barn staff and other equine caregivers for their diligence during these past weeks. We appreciate you all!

The safety and welfare of our members and our horses must continue to be our top priority. In taking care of ourselves, our horses, and each other, we can all hope to be back in the saddle soon!

Warmest Regards,

Cathy Ramsingh-Pierre, President

Please be advised that due to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Equestrian Bahamas and the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) have agreed to postpone the launch of The Bahamas as Region 13 of IEA Hunt Seat Zone 4 to the 2021-2022 show season.
Mrs. Erika Adderley-Coello and Mrs. Kimberly Johnson will remain Region President and Vice-President, respectively, for the current year. These appointments will continue into the 2021-2022 show season.

The postponement of our debut as an IEA Region is a disappointing development for our riders and coaches, but beyond anyone’s control. The BIEL/IEA clinics and competitions planned for the 2020-2021 competition year and the scheduling of judges and other competition officials have been impacted by current travel, quarantine and other health protocols.
Equestrian Bahamas remains committed to the safety and welfare of horses, athletes, trainers, staff, spectators and all those involved in our equine industry. We all look forward to returning to competitions when it is deemed safe to do so. However, any shows that take place will do so without the planned IEA component.

Equestrian Bahamas and the Interscholastic Equestrian Association continue to share a common mission of promoting equestrian sport to school-age riders and providing competitive and educational opportunities. We look forward to resuming our place in the IEA family next year!

As barns reopen and we return to riding, we remind you to do everything possible to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. Please continue to respect and adhere to all barn-implemented policies regarding hygiene, apparel, scheduling, social distancing, etc., as these are guided by the applicable policies of world and domestic health authorities and supplemented with sport-specific considerations.

Thank you for your co- operation in this regard.
Best wishes,

Cathy Ramsingh-Pierre, President