Minister Smith shows support at Dressage course

It was competition day and the final day of the third FEI (International Federation for Equestrian Sports) ESEE Dressage Judging and Coaching course and the TTEA (Trinidad and Tobago Equestrian Association) were delighted to welcome the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Darryl Smith and his children.

This was the third ESEE Solidarity programme for Dressage, the FEI ESEE – Equestrian Sports Educative Event (ESEE) held from Thursday until Sunday at the San Antonio Stables in Santa Cruz.

International FEI experts Mercedes Campderá from Mexico and Maria Ines Garcia from Colombia facilitated this four-day event. Smith welcomed and thanked the two facilitators for visiting Trinidad and discussion ensued regarding the future of equestrian sport in TT.

Smith got a tour of the hosting stable San Antonio Stables with TTEA president Duglas Watsun and was quite impressed with what he saw.

The Minister was able to view a few of the competing trainee judges, trainee coaches and riders who put into practice what they learnt over the four-day ESEE Dressage course.

Under the guidance of Campderá, the trainee judges scored and assessed the performance of all the competing riders, and this information was then shared with all participants.

The Dressage ESEE course participants were – Patrice Stollmeyer, Sara McCartney (trainee dressage judges); Sandhya Moll, Natalie Rapier, Anja Taylor, Errol Grant, Amy Costelloe (trainee dressage coaches).

Luisa Fernandes and Waheeda Muller also audited the course.

Certificates of Participation were given to all trainee judges and coaches, including Nicola Chatoor-Grainger, Rebecca Mazely and Margaret Auerbach, who all participated in one/all of the two prior ESEE Dressage judging courses.

The TTEA expressed their gratitude towards Smith and his Ministry for their continued assistance and support, as well as FEI for their commitment to the sustained development of the sport locally.