Nandi, Sarah shine in FEI World Dressage

MBABANE – Renowned horse riders Nandi Williams and Sarah Fawcett were among the country’s competitors leaving a mark in the sport’s flagship event this past weekend.

Eswatini hosted a successful International Equestrian Federation (FEI) World Dressage Challenge (WDC) and Seven Nations Challenge at Nyanza Stables this past Saturday.

In dressage, the horse performs special, carefully controlled movements as directed by the rider.

At least 15 horse and rider combinations took part and they were riding in various tests. The likes Williams and Fawcett again flawlessly executed the dressage challenges to leave a mark. The Sevens Nations

Dressage Challenge was designed to run alongside the prestigious FEI (WDC). As the WDC only catered for higher level competition, the Sevens Nations challenge allowed lower levels a professional base to train for promotion to WDC. The nations who take part were from the FEI Zone VI countries and they were Eswatini, Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Complimentary

It will be known at the end of the year where Eswatini is ranked in the Sevens Nations Challenge. “The international travelling officials were very complimentary on the professionalism of all the Athletes and of Nyanza Stables as a show venue,” reads a statement from the Equestrian Federation of Eswatini.

The aim of the WDC competition is to give the less experienced riders who, under normal circumstances, cannot take part in international competitions and live in the more remote countries, the opportunity to compete internationally without having to leave their own country. The same tests are ridden in each country that participates under the same conditions and the results are correlated and an overall winner and winning team is decided.

By holding both competitions, the country’s athletes, coaches and officials were exposed to international level competition and judging and were also given an opportunity to extend to national level qualifications by shadow judging. Sylvia Bruckner (President of the Ground Jury and FEI 2* Judge) and Eino Vuorinen (South Africa National Level A Judge) were back this year again.

THE INTERIM NSC

FEI WORLD DRESSAGE CHALLENGE Senior 2

1st Nandi Williams on Eagles Cloudburst

Senior 1

1st Sarah Fawcett on Desert Fantasy

2nd Wandi Williams on Hakahana Aluka

7 NATIONS CHALLENGE Elementary Senior

1st Peter Kay on Fast Jet

2nd Kirsten Smith on Swazi Lizkhar Under the Stars 3rd Kirsten Smith on Levante

PRELIMINARY COMPETITION SENIORS

1st Peter Kay on Fast Jet

2nd Lea – Ann Smith on Big Sky Alabama

3rd Justine Martin on Swazi Lizkhar Sante Fe of Lagos 4th Tracey – Ann McKenzie on Diamonds Quipri

PRELIMINARY YOUTH COMPETITION

1st Jessica Le Roux on Ride to Riches

2nd Amy Koekemoer on Jamborasca

3rd Jennifer Fawcett on Saffron Returns

4th Jennifer Fawcett on Will to Win

5th Shaan Wells on Pixie Dust