The Tribune

IT was all good news for the Bahamas equestrian community when the final results of the Caribbean Equestrian Association 2023 Mini Jumping Challenge and 2023 Mini Dressage Challenge were released last week.

Bahamian equestrians dominated nearly every category of competition.

The CEA Mini Jumping Challenge and Mini Dressage Challenge are a series of competitions contested over the calendar year by the member nations of the CEA. The competitions take place in each individual country and the results are judged collectively at the year end.

In 2023, The Bahamas competed against Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, emerging 1st overall in the MDC Adult Team competition, 2nd overall in the MDC Children’s Team Competition and 4th overall in the Team Mini Jumping Challenge.

The individual results of Bahamas riders were equally as impressive across both competitions.

In the Mini Jumping Challenge Height Class B, Sienna Jones placed 1st out of 22 competitors, pilot- ing Lea’s Pride around the course in 66.5 seconds, just 1.5 seconds off the Optimal Time. Alexis Osazuwa on her own mount Coraggio di Essere placed 2nd in Height Class A, just edged out by Barbados’ Emily Dickson aboard Mystique.

However, the jumping team score suffered a blow when Gabriella Moran and Fiona dropped a rail in Height Class C, with the result that the jumping team finished 4th overall.

Bahamas equestrians dominated the CEA Mini Dressage Challenge, despite 2023 being the country’s first time competing in this discipline.

In the children’s competition, Addison Spraggins placed 1st in the Introductory Level A Test. Katerina Coello finished 2nd in the Introductory Level B Test, just behind Bermuda’s Charlotte Arthur, but won the Introductory Level C Test outright. Emma Johnston was 3rd in Training Level Test 1. Overall, the children’s team placed 2nd, just 1.375% points behind the winning Bermuda Team.

Bahamas adult Dressage riders performed very strongly. Rowena Jones placed 1st in the Introductory Level A Test; Gabriella Moran was 1st in the Introductory Level B Test; Erika Adderley placed 1st in the Introductory Level C Test, and Lorrinda Maura placed 2nd in the Training Level 1 Test. As a result the Adult Team placed 1st overall, outscoring 2nd place Jamaica by over 16 percentage points.