The Trinidad & Tobago Equestrian Association recently brought a close to the 2025 Jumping Season sponsored by Ezone. Hosted at San Antonio Stables and Sandy Hill Stables, the Association saw 26 riders throughout the year competing from heights ranging between the 0.50m Beginner 1 Level all the way up to the 1.10m Advanced Level.
10 year old Lillie-Belle Balkissoon ended the year on a high after jumping two clear rounds at the 0.70m Maiden Junior Level on her horse Kryptonite. Balkissoon not only secured the Maiden End of Year Championship for the 2025 year, but also took first place honors in the Beginner 2 Junior End of Year Championship. A remarkable feat for such a young rider.
An exciting battle for the top spot at the 1.0m Intermediate Level was decided when Caitlyn Sebastien narrowly beat Hailey Ali. Aboard Rafa, Sebastien scored a total of 215 points over Ali & her mount Dark Treasurer’s 190 points.
Justynne Fletcher captured the Advanced End of Year Championship jumping to a maximum height of 1.10m aboard Cape Canaveral. Jaimie Fletcher & her mount L’Ourve were crowned Junior Novice Champions. Amy Costelloe and Holy Man took the Senior division in the Novice Class jumping to a maximum of 0.85m.
In the two most competitive classes for the year, we saw Mia Vieira & Wild Fire victorious in the 0.6m Beginner 2 Senior Championship Division with Zahra-Lys King and Titan as Reserve Champions. 9 year old Ceinwen Jones aboard Night Nurse saw off fellow competitor Mackenzie Stewart and Madame Bean to take the top spot in the 0.5m Beginner 1 Championship.
Rounding out the Championship field is Shane Moffat and ex-racehorse Royal Ballet in the Senior Beginner 1 Division.
The TTEA saw many riders taking advantage of the Summer Holidays to further their knowledge and experience abroad. In July, Hailey Ali flew to Virginia to compete and train with 5* Eventing Rider and Coach, Sara Kozumplik. Ali successfully competed up to the 1.0m Level. Caitlyn Sebastien and Amy Costelloe soon followed Ali to Virginia and attended a 10 day long Eventing Camp with Kozumplik. The T&T riders impressed the 5* Kozumplik with her stating that the riders had ‘impeccable basics’ and T&T must have a ‘very good riding programme’.
In August, 15 year old Jaimie Fletcher headed to Bogota, Colombia, to compete at the FEI Dressage Level in front of International Judges including one Olympic Level Dressage Judge. Fletcher won the Gold and Bronze in the Junior FEI level of the Copa Gobernacion de Cundiamarca. With this fantastic achievement in hand, young Fletcher
has been invited to the prestigious CDI Dressage Competition in Mexico taking place in November.
In England, we saw Michelle Sabga Aboud proudly representing Trinidad and Tobago in the British Dressage Nationals aboard her horse Ruxton Euphoria. Sabga Aboud scored an impressive 70% in a strong class of 31 competitors in the Advanced Medium Gold.
In other Equestrian news, Annabella Hill confirmed her spot on the Delaware State University Division 1 Equestrian Team. Hill moved to the US last year and has successfully been competing at the 1.10m in Florida.
Dressage is next on the TTEA’s callender with Dressage League 2 being held in mid October and the Dressage League Finale being held in mid November.