Jumpers get themselves in gear for FEI competition

Whitehall Equestrian Centre in St. Peter came alive at the end of last month as it played host to the second Barbados Equestrian Association Show Jumping event on the 2020 calendar. With the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea providing the backdrop on February 23, the Super League and some of the island’s emerging elite equestrians rode magnificent rounds in preparation for the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Jumping World Challenge, which is slated for March 15.

With 13 jumping efforts starting the days proceedings at one metre in Table A, Monique Archer had a great ride aboard the mature Mario and was the only clear round in a time of 70.04 seconds to take the win. Archer joked that the 15-year-old bay gelding has taken 12 years to mature and has never felt better!

Second-place finisher Paige Tryhane was with equine partner Fiep and made her first appearance back to the show ring for the year. Like her stable partner Daisy, Fiep had also been on maternity leave. The pair left the show arena with four penalties for a rail at the oxer of jump number three and finished in a time of 68.70 seconds.

Indy Jones and Lipstick made another move up to a new height category and made their presence known. Despite four penalties on the rail down at oxer 5B, the pairing was good enough for third place. In Round 2 Tryhane and Fiep took an easy win with no faults at a steady pace, over the feisty chestnut mare Lipstick and a very happy and content Jones to take second.

In the 1.10 Metre Table A Daisy and Tryhane rose to the occasion for a lovely clear round and a very quick time of 63.11 seconds over Candace Jones and Spartan, who also went clear. However, a shy time slower of 64.90 seconds saw them falling to second. The talented Dylan Frost aboard Victor took two rails to tally up eight faults in a time of 68.92 seconds which was enough to hold onto the third-place ribbon.

In Round 2 of the 1.10 Metre, Jones and Spartan took top honours with a clear round and a time of 66.14 seconds over Archer and the refined Mario. The pair also had zero penalties but were a single second slower than Jones. In third place, hanging on by the seat of their pants, were Frost and Victor.

The FEI Jumping World Challenge is set for a 9:15 am start at the Whitehall Equestrian Centre on March 15, and is part of the Barbados Olympic Association’s Women in Sport programme.