The Equestrian Philippines Indoor Championship Series 2019 kicked off this weekend at the Manila Polo Club in Makati with the staging of Spooky Spectacular, the 5th MPC Show Jumping Competition.
Dressed in Halloween costumes, the country’s locally based riders rode to earn points for the championship title of this three-leg series.
Dieter Heinz, a 3* course designer accredited by the Federation Equestrian Internationale and who has forty years of experience as an FEI official as course designer, steward, and technical delegate at countless international events and championships, including five Olympic Games, flew to Manila to build the course which posed solid challenges for riders in the competition.
In the highest category with a height of 1.20m, Paola Lorenzo, placed first aboard her trusty horse Rubis Landais. Nicole Camcam in full zebra gear took top honors in the 1.10m category on Aralea T.
In the 1.00m class, Camcam on Com Amber came first in an excellently ridden round, followed by Lorenzo on her newly arrived mount from France, Happy Cooper.
In the hotly contested 0.90m category, Egyptian rider Mohamed El Akkad on Cooper came first, followed by Nikki Aboitiz on Astuce Courcelle, and then by Lara Zobel on Lobelia. The 0.75m and 0.65m classes were bested by Aaliya Lalonde on Odeon du Marey.
It is the first time in the country that series championship titles will be contested per height category in addition to an overall champion.
Among the series partners of EquestrianPH are JFJC Equestrian Training Services, Leviste Equestrian Park, Metro Society, and Metro.Style.
Lorenzo received her awards for winning the top class, the 1.20m category, of Spooky Spectacular, the 1st leg of the Equestrian Philippines Indoor Championship Series 2019 and the 5th Manila Polo Club Show Jumping competition from MPC equestrian committee chairman Nina Herrera Huang, Equestrian Philippines Inc. president Carissa Coscolluela, and event course designer Deiter Heinz, an accredited 3* Federation Equestre Internationale course designer with over 40 years of experience as an FEI official in his capacity as course designer, steward, and technical delegate at countless international competitions and championships, including five Olympic Games.
Fourteen-year-old Camcam, in full Halloween gear as a giraffe, topped the 0.90m category of Spooky Spectacular, the 1st leg of the Equestrian Philippines Indoor Championship Series 2019 and the 5th Manila Polo Club Show Jumping competition aboard nine-year-old Swedish warmblood mare Con Amber.