- Ryan and Callaho Larina placed first and he was crowned the junior novice champion
- Ryan and Kadush were placed second in the show hunter team event
- Ryan and Volmoed Astrant, in their last show together, secured first place
- Ryan had an exceptional championship
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Ryan Martin and his three horses, Callaho Larina, Kadush and Volmoed Astrant, competed in the South African Equestrian Youth Championship hosted at Shongweni, Durban, from 10 to 15 December 2022.
The competition allows individual as well as team participation.
Teams were allowed to combine their riders with those of other provincial teams if there was a shortage of participants in the various classes and disciplines.
The team participation permits the junior riders to earn their South African Equestrian Federation (SAEF) provincial colors.
Ryan and Callaho Larina placed first and he was crowned the junior novice champion in the working hunter class. The duo placed second in the junior intermediate equitation 1,0 m event, second in the show jumping accumulator 1,0 m event, and second in the show jumping A2 speed event.
Ryan and Callaho Larina joined the Gauteng team in the intermediate equitation event.
This combination placed third in the junior intermediate equitation event.
Ryan and Kadush also teamed up with KwaZulu-Natal for the showing class, and Mpumalanga for the show jumping classes.
Rider and horse placed second in the show hunter team event, second in the working hunter team event, and third in the junior open working hunter event. This secured the combined Free State and KwaZulu-Natal team a second place in the junior showing competition.
Ryan and Volmoed Astrant, in their last show together, secured first place in the 90 cm junior show jumping A2 speed class, and fifth place in the 90 cm show jumping two-phase event.
The show jumping classes were the main attraction and Ryan had to compete against 44 competitors in the 90 cm and 68 competitors in the 1,0 m show jumping class.
This annual event is a combined presentation by SA Showjumping, SA Equitation, SA Showing and Dressage SA under the SAEF for riders under 18 years.
“Ryan had an exceptional championship, and it should be taken into account that the Free State did not present graded show events during 2022. Ryan had to compete in several graded shows in Gauteng in order for him to qualify for the youth championships,” says his coach, trainer and mentor, Belinda Basson of the BRS Equestrian Centre in Riebeeckstad.
The two worked hard over the last three years and trained a thoroughbred race horse and a Callaho broodmare into competitive sport horses.
