Polo-Venting gets off the ground at Holders

This exciting exhibition-style competition combined two of the fastest and most exhilarating equestrian sports – cross-country jumping and polo – and provided an action packed afternoon of entertainment for the large crowd present which included many officials from the Barbados Olympic Association and the National Sports Council, in addition to several dignitaries and honorary past members of the Barbados Equestrian Association (BEA).

 

The main event pitted the dexterity ball skills of eight elite polo players with the skills of the island’s eight top jumpers to maneuver a challenging course set on the polo field. The eight teams competed for top honours on the day, in what was a very close and competitive showdown. In the end, the D&A Mechanical Team of Zoe Archer and Lucas Nicolao emerged victorious by clocking the fastest time to complete the difficult course assigned. Both of the riders’ horses performed brilliantly amidst the loud screams from the crowd throughout the competition.

 

In second place was the Buckeye Nutrition team of Laura Smith and Adam Deane and in the third were Heather Walker and Harry Manning, representing the Mango Bay Resort. Sara Jones and Roddy Davis, representing RT’s, finished in fourth. The four other teams participating were Monique and Wayne Archer for Archer’s Hall, Tristan Blades and Richard Deane riding for Pony Brand Beverages, Paige Tryhane and Josh Archer representing Gift and Things, and the youngest competitor of the day, Indy Jones along with Guillermo Clerice representing the Coconut Court Hotel.

 

Akoele Shorey, a past rider at the Central American and Caribbean and Pan American Games, demonstrated her beautiful dressage skills prior to the main competition with a well-orchestrated musical freestyle. Several other exhibits were present at the event, including the launch of a new BEA rum punch, of which part of future sales will go to supporting the Association.

 

The main goal of this BEA event was to raise funds to build a professional one-star cross-country course on the island so that Barbados can properly train a team for Eventing for the 2018 Caribbean and Central American Games in Colombia and beyond. Eventing is a major international sport and is basically the triathlon of equestrian sport, where riders have to be skilled in dressage, show jumping and cross-country riding. Part of the proceeds from this fundraiser will also be donated to the A Ganar Youth Program, which is a USA-based charity aimed at counseling, training and finding employment for at-risk youth between the ages of 16 and 24 years old in Barbados. Eight young persons from the local chapter of the program are currently working with horses to learn horse-grooming skills, and built the course for the competition and were present for the event.