Author: andy
Equestrians Shine in Florida Competition!
Equestrian athletes Mila Sands and Gabriella Moran returned home to Nassau this week in triumph after their success in the first leg of the Tropical Show Series, held in Wellington, Florida. Sands and Moran were accompanied by their trainer, Mrs. Kim Johnson.
Although this was the first time competing abroad for both riders, Sands and Moran distinguished themselves from the very first day. Sands was Champion in the Child Pony Equitation Division, while Moran bested a field of over twenty riders to win Champion in the Child/Adult Equitation Division. Success continued on the second day of competition, when Sands placed second in the Pony Medal. Throughout the competition, Sands and Moran rode horses owned by Carriage Hill Farms of Delray Beach, Florida.
Trainer Kim Johnson expressed pride at the riders’ performance. “There was a lot to take in,” she noted. “It was their first horse show abroad, on unknown horses, as well as their first time riding in a covered arena. They were poised and focused on the technical elements and the results showed.”
Mila Sands attends Queens College and is the daughter of Sakina Sands and the Honourable Dr. Duane Sands, Minister of Health. Gabriella Moran is a student at St. Andrew’s School, and the daughter of Dominika Moranova and Moran. Both riders are looking forward to their next show abroad!
Bahamas Interschool Equestrian League Competition 2017
A big thank you to all who participated in the first ever Bahamas Interschool Equestrian League Competition! The day was tremendous fun for all, and hopefully a learning experience for all our riders. Thank you also to Judge Dayle Eldredge, who took the time to speak with all riders in a mini-feedback session at the end of the show.
Congratulations to the Lyford Cay International School team, and their coach Erika Adderley-Coello on their winning effort!
The final results were as follows:
- 1st place – Lyford Cay International School – 36 points
- 2nd place – Queen’s College – 31 points
- 3rd place – St. Andrew’s School – 27 points
- 4th place – Lucaya International School – 25 points
- 5th place – Tambearly/Home-Schooled – 17 points
- 6th place – St. Augustine’s College – 15 points
- 7th place – Windsor Preparatory School – 9 points
Canadian Licensed Equine Massage Therapist to visit Bahamas
Brittany Cameron, a member of the International Federation of Registered Equine Massage Therapists, will be visiting Nassau on Thursday April 20, and Friday April 21. More information about Brittany and her services may be found on her website, Eastern Equine Dynamics
If you would like your horse to be treated, please contact Brittany directly at [email protected] , as there are still some spaces available.
Rotary Clubs of Nassau Show
Thank you to the Rotary Clubs of New Providence for their continued generosity, and to all the riders, trainers and spectators who came out to participate in the 14th Annual Rotary Horse Show on March 11-12. Held at Camperdown Equestrian Centre, the show was judged by Clay Farrell of Venice, Florida. In this last rated show of the season, our young riders showed their very best – Mila Sands won the Judge’s Choice Tibri Sportsmanship Award, and Taylor Haines captured the overall High Point trophy.
The show also featured the exciting two-part finale of the Bahamas Junior Classic. Siena Holowesko aboard Erika Adderley’s Valhalla led after the Hunter phase on Saturday, especially remarkable since she was forced to change mounts at the last minute when her regular ride, Gandolfe, went lame. On Sunday, Maya Tilberg aboard Dehlia mounted a challenge with a fast and flashy Jumper round – but in the end, Siena prevailed to win the Classic. Maya was second, and Carisa Brogdon aboard Kim Johnson’s Sterling Silver was third.
Now that the regular show season is over, our young riders can look forward to one more exciting experience – the Bahamas Interschool Equestrian Championship Event, which will take place on Saturday, April 29, at Camperdown Equestrian Centre. Coaches are currently in the process of team selection, and riders can look forward for the first time to a team event where they will represent their schools!
Stay tuned for more information, which will be coming soon!
The Importance of Sportsmanship
Congratulations to all riders and horses who competed in last weekend’s show at Camperdown Equestrian Centre, and thanks as always to the trainers, parents, and other supporters who were on hand to make the weekend a success!
Horse shows are a great time to gather and reconnect as an equestrian community. Every horse show is also an opportunity for our riders to execute their skills in a technical setting, and gain valuable feedback from internationally rated judges. This past weekend we welcomed Mr. Robert Robold, a widely-sought after USEF “R”- rated judge who was selected in 1982 as an alternate for the German Olympic Equestrian Team, and served as President of the East Coast Hunter-Jumper Association for three years. Mr. Robold has trained numerous Champion horses and
riders to compete all over the United States and Europe. As so many of our guests judges do, at the close of the show he was kind enough to take time to speak to interested riders, encouraging them and giving suggestions for improving their technique.
The most special event of the weekend, however, was the introduction of the Tibri Sportsmanship Award. The Tibri Award was conceived by Mrs. Fran Dotoli of Tibri Stables in Rhode
Island, USA, who judged a show at Camperdown in November, 2016. Mrs. Dotoli was so impressed with the attitude and sportsmanship of our young Bahamian riders that she undertook to sponsor the Tibri Sportsmanship Award, to be presented at each show to the rider who in the Judge’s opinion best exemplifies the principles of sportsmanship.
Mrs. Dotoli specified that Ms. Tyler Hanlan, a Camperdown Equestrian Centre student, was to be the first recipient of the award. Tyler caught Mrs. Dotoli’s eye at the CEC November show for remaining calm and looking first to the safety of her horse even when things did not go well in the show ring. Mr. Robold then had the privilege of selecting the February recipient – and the lucky young man was Anton Gottberg from Mariposa Stables, who “demonstrated a sportsmanlike attitude to everyone around him, both on and off the horse.” Congratulations to Tyler and Anton for demonstrating that sportsmanship is every bit as important as winning ribbons!
See you next month at CEC for the Annual Rotary Clubs Horse Show (March 11-12), when the two-day final of the Bahamas Junior Classic will be contested! Admission is free, and all are invited to attend.