Leslie Reid Takes the Lead for Canada,Santo Domingo’s Yvonne Losos Sits in Silver Medal Position at 2003 Pan American Games

Canada’s Leslie Reid rides Mark on the gold medal path at the 2003 Pan American Games

In the race for individual medals, Canada’s Leslie Reid has maintained her lead in the dressage competition at the 2003 Pan American Games followed by Dominican Republic’s Yvonne Losos de Muñiz who is right on track for a silver medal.

In Friday’s second of three individual qualifiers, the Intermediaire I, Reid of Langley, BC, earned the day’s highest score, 73.70%, to remain in the lead and put herself on course for the gold medal. Riding Mark, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Marie Andrews, Reid performed a consistent, quality test from start to finish. Her high Intermediaire I mark, added to her Prix St. Georges score of 72.15%, gives Reid a two-day total of 145.85.

“I was more relaxed today, and I am just going to try to keep him fresh for Sunday because I would like him exactly the same as he was today,” said Reid, a three-time Pan Am Games competitor who on Thursday earned a team silver medal to go with her team gold medal from the 1991 Pan Am Games in Havana, Cuba. “The horse is doing his best and if he keeps giving me that consistency, the rest is up to the judges.”

Santo Domingo’s own Yvonne Losos de Muñiz kept herself on track for an individual silver medal with another strong performance aboard Inatana Las Marismas, her 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, despite the fact that the mare had been sick earlier in the day.

“We got one of those dreaded phone calls at 4 o’clock in the morning to tell us that she was colicking,” explained Losos de Muñiz, obviously worried about the health of her horse. “Thankfully, she was okay and we were able to compete. She gave me everything she could but she wasn’t her normal self. We’ll keep her under strict observation and hopefully she’ll come out of it.”

Santo Domingo’s own Yvonne Losos de Muñiz is currently in silver medal position with Inatana Las Marismas

Despite competing under less than ideal conditions, Losos de Muñiz’s still received a high score of 69.40%. Added with Thursday’s mark of 71.80%, her two-day total is 141.20. The 2003 Pan American Games mark the first time the Dominican Republic has fielded a dressage team, meaning a medal won by Losos de Muñiz would be the first ever for the Dominican Republic in the sport of equestrian.

Riding into third position and bronze medal position is Bernadette Pujals of Mexico. With Vincent, her Hannoverian stallion by Weltmeyer, Pujals earned a score of 70.75% to add to her Prix St. Georges team score of 70.75% and now has a total of 140.60. Pujals is the defending bronze medallists, having also finished in third place at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada.

“I feel no pressure, I came to have a good time and I will continue working on that goal until Sunday,” said Pujals, who helped Mexico to capture the team bronze medal on Thursday.

While his team finished fifth, Dr. Cesar Parra is still well within striking distance for an individual medal for Colombia. Riding the Hannoverian stallion, Pik L, Parra posted a 69.45% in the Intermediaire I, almost identical to his score of 69.50% in the Prix St. Georges. The overall result is a total of 138.95.

“I will keep fighting and pushing for a medal, I wouldn’t be a good rider if I didn’t,” commented Parra.

Close behind Parra in fifth position is American hopeful Jan Ebeling of Moorpark, CA. With Feleciano, an eight-year-old Westphalian stallion, Ebeling earned 67.75% in the Intermediare I, lower than the 70.40% he received in the Prix. St. Georges.

“My horse felt great, but he was not as relaxed as yesterday and I think maybe I pushed a bit too much,” said Ebeling, who is making his United States Equestrian Team debut in Santo Domingo. “I’m still in the running and I’m going to go for it!”

Ebeling’s overall total is 138.15 and adding an individual medal to the Team Gold he was awarded on Thursday remains a possibility.

While the top 15 horse-rider combinations move onto Sunday’s Individual Final, countries are limited to three riders each. While all four riders for both Canada and the United States were among the top 15, Jacqueline Brooks from Canada who finished eleventh overall and Kristina Harrison-Naness for the United States who finished in thirteenth, will miss the opportunity to contest the Intermediaire Freestyle.

Dressage events continue at the Palmarejo Equestrian Center until August 10 and are followed by the show jumping events, held August 13-16. For further information on the equestrian events at the Pan American Games, please visit the Dominican Republic Equestrian Federation’s website at: www.ecuestrerd.com and the official 2003 Pan American Games website at www.santodomingo2003.com.

Leslie Reid

Dressage – Current Individual Standings Following Intermediaire I
Rider Country Horse PSG I1 Total Score
1. Leslie Reid CAN Mark 72.15% 73.70% 145.85
2. Yvonne Losos de Muñiz DOM Inatana Las Marismas 71.80% 69.40% 141.20
3. Bernadette Pujals MEX Vincent 69.85% 70.75% 140.60
4. Cesar Parra COL Pik L 69.50% 69.45% 138.95
5. Jan Ebeling USA Feleciano 70.40% 67.75% 138.15
6. Pierre St. Jacques USA Lucky Tiger 69.35% 68.45% 137.80
7. Evi Strasser CAN Quantum Tyme 66.50% 66.10% 132.60
8. Ashley Holzer CAN Gambol 67.65% 64.65% 132.30
9. George Fernandez DOM Joris Las Marismas 66.45% 65.55% 132.00
10. Carol Lavell USA Much Ado 66.80% 64.95% 131.75