The Philippine team emerged champion in the Malaysian edition of the Riders Tour, besting two home teams from the hosts at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort in Kuala Lumpur last weekend.
Composed of Paola Lorenzo (1.20m category), Lara Zobel (1.10 meter category), Nicole Camcam (1.00m category), Mohamed el Akkad (0.90m category), Alex Ynares-Villalon (0.80m category) and Minxie Romualdez (0.70m category), the Philippine team followed up its triumphant run during the inaugural September stop of the Riders Tour, the borrowed horse competition series between teams from Malaysia and the Philippines.
The Malaysian teams were composed of local riders ranging from young equestrians to members of the uniformed service in active mounted duty.
In a challenging format that tests the riders’ ability and adaptability, all riders competing in the Riders Tour were given 30 minutes to familiarize themselves with the horses provided by the host country prior to riding a five-minute test round the day before the actual competition.
The same format was employed at the inaugural edition of the event held in Manila last year, conceptualized by Equestrian Philippines, Inc.
The series, which sees the return of the Philippines in team-borrowed horse shows in the Asian region, has been well received, with several clubs in different countries now proposing to stage similar events.
The Philippines ended on a fault-free score, while Malaysia Team A finished with 4 faults and Malaysia Team B with 20 faults.
Additionally, Lorenzo, Zobel and Ynares-Villalon claimed first place in their respective categories, while Romualdez and Camcam took second-place honors. El Akkad was third place.
The MAS-PHI Riders Tour was held within the Bukit Kiara New Year Horse Show, which saw 71 riders competing in seven height categories.
Special awards were also given to Zobel as Best Rider, Camcam for Sportsmanship, and young Malaysian rider Hariz Kamaludin as Most Promising Rider.
