|
BERMUDA EQUESTRIAN FEDERATION |
|
PAN AM
NEWS NO: 1 |
|
11th
July 2007
. |
|
The
first Bermuda competitor to arrive in Rio de Janeiro for the Pan Am
Games was dressage rider Annabelle Collins who has given herself and
her horse Medici a week to acclimatize to Brazil and to recover from
the arduous journey. Annabelle who is based in Spain travelled to
Holland prior to shipping out for training with her sister-in-law
Leidia Stryka who is herself an international rider for Holland and
will be her coach at the Games. It was also necessary for Medici to
be strictly quarantined before flying out to Brazil in company with
horses from the Dominican Republic. Unlike human athletes the
horses could not fly directly to Rio but had to fly to Sao Paulo and
them be trucked for six hours to Rio, and spend another 24 hours in
quarantine. According to dressage chef d’equipe Mike Collins they
survived the journey and quickly settle in. The opening ceremony is
on Friday 13th July ad the dressage competition starts on
Saturday 14th. |
|
|
|
The
Pan Am Games is Annabelle’s first major sport festival although she
had to compete in major competitions in Europe in order to reach the
qualifying standard for Rio. |
|
|
|
The
Pan Am Games are considered as Olympic qualifiers for most sports,
Dressage and Show Jumping included, so our 3 equestrians have a
chance to qualify BERMUDA for the 2008 Olympic Hong Kong Games. |
|
|
|
Show
Jumpers Jill Terceira and Patrick Nisbett are schedule to leave
Europe next week with their horses Navantus and Antille 8 heading
for Rio via Sao Paulo, where they will meet up with chef d’equipe
Paul Pereech and the rest of their support team. Show Jumping
competition starts on July 24th with a final on July 29th
the last day of the Games. |
|
|
|
More
information as it becomes available. |
