After 18 years, the Caribbean Equestrian Association (CEA) Championship has been abandoned. The shortage of horses was the main reason given for the cancellation, as horses were in short supply and were insufficient for the championship to go ahead.
Since 1997, the championship gave young riders from the region the opportunity to compete against each other, and the scrapping of the tournament is seen as a major blow to the sport in the region and for the young aspiring riders.
According to the Bermuda Equestrian Federation website, the Caribbean Equestrian Association was formed in 1997 and the first competition between Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad took place
In 1998, the first informal Dressage competition too place, Bermuda joined the CEA in 1999 and the Cayman Islands joined in 2001, Haiti has expressed an interest in joining but due to the unrest in that country has been unable to do so. The Bahamas have expressed an interest in joining the CEA and they attended the AGM in 2005 to get a better understanding of the Association.
In 2000 the CEA Constitution was drawn up, the CEA Committee consists of a President, Vice President, Treasurer and a Secretary
In 2004 at the AGM in Jamaica the CEA Mini Dressage Competition was formalized. Rules for the Dressage were worked on by the Barbados Dressage Committee.
Jamaica won the first of their seven Bernard Payen Memorial Shields in 1998. This was followed by victories in 1999, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2014. Jamaica won their last championship with 12 faults, ahead of Trinidad and Tobago, who won the two previous tournaments, with 14.
Bermuda won the 2004 CEA Junior Jumping Competition Title, while winning the Adult Team CEA Mini Dressage Competition Title twice, in 2012 and 2013. Bermuda finished Champions in the Children Team CEA Mini Dressage Competition event in 2006 and 2007.
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