DOHA: The para-equestrian dressage events were another exhibition of excellence and ability on day two of the discipline’s premiere at CHI Al Shaqab yesterday.
Dutchwoman Sanne Voets, winning her class of Grade 3, likened her riding to Qatar. “Living in the desert, Qatari people made the impossible happen by building this fantastic city of Doha and I see similarities to para dressage. You should not allow to be let down by any difficulties. Only the sky is the limit.”
Voets was born with a joint disease that weakened both her legs and she later fell off a horse, further damaging her legs and requiring lots of “not always successful” surgery. Like almost everything else, riding is painful for her.
“But pain is an emotion and you can control it,” Voets said. “Horse riding is just too important for me. When I am on a horse I forget everything else.”
The double WEG-medalist won on 70.854 despite a slight hiccup when her new mare, Zoya Sollenburg, clipped a board and got slightly spooked.
Roberta Sheffield on Double Agent came second on 69.431. “I had a little glitch in the canter change but the overall quality felt better than yesterday,” she said.
With dual citizenship, Sheffield rides for Canada but is based in England where she trains with Grand Prix rider Gareth Hughes. With her chestnut mare, Double Agent, she was a national champion back in 2014.
The Grade 4 competition saw a repetition of the first day’s duel with Dutchman Frank Hosmar riding Alphaville N.O.P. to victory with a score of 72.897.
“I am very pleased. This was a nicer ride than yesterday’s team test,” he said.
Multi-medalist Michele George again came in second, 0.8 points behind Hosmar. “I can’t beat him”, the Belgian was disappointed with the ranking, but not with her mare Saganne, earning a nine for extended trot. “She competed as I wanted her to.”
Third place went to German Lena Weifen and her long standing partner Don Turner.
Delivering her performance in walking in the smaller 20x40 arena, world number three Elke Philipps won again. She presented Regaliz in fluid harmony.
The German pair earned straight 8’s in their collective marks for equestrian feel and accuracy that Philipps is known for. Second and third placed Laurentia Yen Ti Yan and Gemma Rose Jen Foo represent Singapore and Asia in para-equestrian.
With 35 championship wins, he is para-equestrian’ top
athlete and Lee Pearson from Great Britain ruled the ranking in his Grade 1b, earning several 9’s for powerful extensions and a triple 8 for equestrian feel and skill of the rider.
THE PENINSULA
