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A 25-year-old islander has scored a historic win in dressage at a national championship for disabled riders, where he was the first person to represent the island.
Ryan Le Monnier, who is autistic and has dyspraxia, came first in the Grade 7 dressage walk/trot class of the competition, out of eleven entrants, with a score of 73.57%.
Originally due to take place in Hartpury in Gloucestershire in July, the competition was moved online over concerns for the safety and wellbeing of the riders and horses due to the heatwave.
All riders therefore had to film their entry and send the videos to the judges.
Even though Ryan was very disappointed to not ride in person at the prestigious National Championships, it meant he was able to ride his own horse Flynn and not a loan horse, as in his qualifier where he also came first in the Grade 7 dressage walk/trot class despite having only met his horse the day before.
Pictured: Ryan at the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) Southwest Regional Dressage and Countryside Qualifier in Cornwall earlier this year.
“I was very excited and looking forward to going to ride at the National Championships at Hartpury, when I heard my class had been cancelled I was very upset and disappointed,” he said.
“I was pleased that I was still able to do the competition online, we didn't have much time to film and enter the video but it was exciting to be able to do it on my own horse Flynn and he was great.
“When I found out that I had won my class I was shocked and surprised and very happy to have qualified for The British Dressage Para festival. I am very excited and looking forward to riding at a big competition. Thank you to everyone who has helped me.”
This recent success means Ryan has qualified for another higher-level competition, the British Dressage Summer Festival of Para Dressage in August, which he hopes to attend.
Inclusive club helps disabled horse rider reach dressage success
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