Tanya Seymour hopes to leap to 2020 Olympics SA dressage crew dream
DOHA – She was a trailblazer who became the first South African dressage rider to compete at an Olympic Games. Tanya Seymour hopes to inspire a full dressage group to make it to the Olympics in Tokyo subsequent yr.
Seymour earned individual dressage for South Africa at the 2016 Rio Olympics after completing fourth at an Olympic qualification occasion in Perl, Germany – u. S. Wherein she is currently based entirely. She finished in the 56th area in Rio, but her success has spurred on a brand new era of South African riders who are nicely placed to emulate her efforts of creating it to the 2020 Olympics.
“Becoming the first South African dressage rider to make it to the Olympic Games was an honor, something that changed into very special to me. “It is interesting to peer how some distance our sport has come given that. We have extra riders competing internationally now, and quite a few who’re proper up there and close to qualifying for the Olympics,” Seymour stated moments after competing inside the specific invitation-most effective CHI Al Shaqab 2019 equestrian occasion in Doha.
Other promising South African riders making their mark across the world encompass Gretha Ferreira, who is additionally primarily based in Germany and competing on the worldwide Grand Prix equestrian circuit, any other nicely-installed German-based totally rider Laurienne Dittmann and Nicola Moore, who’s furthermore based entirely in Germany and is currently being skilled with the aid of Seymour.
A team of three riders is had to qualify for a group at the Olympics within the dressage discipline, an equestrian ‘artwork’ regarded as the highest expression of horse schooling, with its poetic steps and workouts. “It would be high-quality going to the Tokyo Olympics as a rider and as an instructor, with a bit of luck with Nicola. It could be honestly cool to have a crew in Tokyo, and we’re running undoubtedly challenging to make that manifest.
“We need pinnacle qualifying scores, and we have sufficient time to make that occur, so I am very constructive,” said Seymour. For Seymour and her dark chestnut stallion, Ramoneur 6, the Al Shaqab equestrian area becomes a piece intimidating as she struggled with her complicated dressage ordinary within the CDI5 Grand Prix occasion Friday.
“We’ve competed at the world championships in front of lots of human beings. However, things didn’t cross pretty as deliberately accessible these days. It’s the second time we’ve been to Al Shaqab. The venue is extraordinary, and the facilities are international-class.
“Riding here is as massive as driving at any most important European event or maybe at an Olympics. The area is actually unreal; it’s a super revel in, which was a chunk intimidating for my horse today,” stated Seymour. Al Shaqab is a member of the Qatar Foundation and is a world-class 250-acre equestrian facility spearheaded via the Qatari royal family.
The prestigious CHI Al Shiqab is one in every of simplest 5 CHI (Concours Hippique International – International Equestrian Competition) events global, and the first and simplest equestrian event of its kind within the Middle East, for which invites are coveted and reserved for simplest the arena’s leading horses and riders.
