For a small island, Barbados has a high per capita ratio of equines and there are estimated to be over 1200 horses currently on the island. The majority of these horses are thoroughbreds involved in the horse racing industry and another large segment participate in polo, but there are several competition horses of varying levels that are part of an active equestrian community that is regulated by the International Equestrian Federation (the FEI) and participates in the Olympic disciplines of Dressage, Show Jumping and Three Day Eventing.
Barbados’ local Federation, the Barbados Equestrian Association, organizes many local shows throughout the year at various venues from beginner and novice levels through international level shows such as FEI Jumping World Challenge and Dressage World Challenge. Several international trainers also visit the island on a regular basis to help develop the sport and keep standards high. Additionally, many riders travel overseas to train and compete.
In fact, Barbados has been represented at several International Games in all three disciplines over the past twenty years culminating in many outstanding performances.
Most recently, Elite Equestrian Roberta Foster traveled to Peru to represent Barbados in Dressage at the 2019 Pan American Games. Barbadians proudly watched as this veteran made it into the Dressage finals and finished in fourteenth place against many top international competitors.
Foster was ironically the first Barbadian equestrian to attend the Pan American Games twenty years earlier in 1999 in Winnipeg, Canada. Over the past twenty years she has competed several times at both the Pan Am and Central American and Caribbean Games and has been accompanied on occasion by other top Dressage athletes such as Gina Hunte, Akoele Roachford and Tove McIntyre.
In Three Day Eventing, a sport introduced to the island only a few years ago, Barbados saw its highest international placing to date when the three member team of Monique Archer, Zoe Archer and Laura Smith brought home the Bronze Medal from Colombia at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games.
In Show Jumping, Emily Kinch has proudly represented Barbados at both the CAC and Pan Am Games level in 2014 and 2015 respectively. Alexa Rodriguez also rode under the Barbados flag in Colombia at the 2018 CAC Games.
There is no doubt that this tradition of international equestrian excellence will continue for Barbados as many Young Riders mark their places in the sport. Bronze Medalist Zoe Archer is training in the UK towards the next CAC Games and Mackenzie Manning and Bree-Anne Hurdle are two emerging international dressage talents with considerable experience who will likely form part of Barbados’ CAC Games Team in 2022.
There are also juniors such as Fifteen-Year Old Indy Jones that definitely stand out in the equestrian field. Jones has traveled to several countries to compete in show jumping including Martinique, Canada and Ireland and she won the FEI Category C Show Jumping Competition in Barbados in 2018 at just fourteen years old.
Scarlett Farmer is another junior making big strides in the international arena. The thirteen year old competes in Dressage, Show Jumping and Eventing and qualified to represent Barbados at the prestigious 2019 Children of the Americas Dressage Invitational in the USA where she earned the Silver Medal.
Other juniors that have gained some international experience and have considerable talent include Jodi and Abigail Haloute, Candace and Dominique Jones and one of the few male show jumpers, Dylan Frost.
For more information on the Barbados Equestrian Association’s Events and Shows please email barbadosequestrian@gmail.com
