The Tribune

TEAM Bahamas had a strong showing - for the third consecutive year - at the FFE World Clubs Tournament in Lamotte-Beuvron, France, placing 4th out of 12 teams.

Sienna Jones (riding Gadget de Peley), Alana Pyfrom (Rapido du Bosquet), Kelsey Pyfrom (Chark Vador Arvei) and Marlo Pinder (Crabbswood Sebastian) went to the competition aiming to repeat or even improve upon 2025’s bronze medal finish, but it was not to be.

Coached by Raishun Burch, the team put in a gritty and technical performance but in the end finished just off the podium.

The World Clubs Tournament celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2026 and featured its largest field ever with teams from 12 nations - The Bahamas, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, France, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Tunisia, Türkiye and last year's gold medallists, Venezuela.

Some European teams travelled and competed on their own horses while others, like Team Bahamas, leased horses from French stables for the competition. 

The competition was stiff at the end of the first day. The Bahamas was one of six teams on a score of zero, while Italy and China sat just behind with four faults.

The second day of competition featured two rounds. With a drop score in hand, Hungary and Chile stayed clear of the pack by maintaining their zero score, while France, Portugal and Cambodia all tumbled in the standings after incurring multiple rails.

Italy rose to the occasion, posting six clear rounds to remain on their initial score of four, drawing level with Team Bahamas and setting up a nail-biting finish.

In the final round, Alana Pyfrom (Rapido du Bosquet) and Kelsey Pyfrom (Chark Vador Arvei) each went clear, but unlucky rails by Sienna Jones (Gadget de Peley) and Marlo Pinder (Crabbswood Sebastian) meant that in the end, The Bahamas finished in 4th place. "I am happy with our team’s performance," said Cathy Ramsingh-Pierre, Equestrian Federation president and Team Chef D’Équipe. "Our athletes rode very well, possibly their strongest performance ever from a technical perspective. The competition was incredibly stiff. Equestrian Bahamas thanks Sophie de Coligny and Virginie Leblanc for the use of their excellent horses. We commend the French Equestrian Federation (FFE) for hosting a wonderful competition where sportsmanship and camaraderie prevailed even in the most competitive atmosphere. Congratulations to Team Hungary on a well-deserved win."

The final results of the competition were:

1st place - Hungary

2nd place - Chile

3rd place - Italy

4th place - The Bahamas

5th place - Portugal

6th place - Cambodia

7th place - France

8th place - China

9th place - Venezuela

10th place - Canada

11th place - Tunisia

12th place - Türkiye