During the 2016 annual awards presentation of the Bermuda Equestrian Federation fifteen-year-old Casey Truran and his German Warmblood horse DeLeVega were awarded the Championships for the Junior Equitation 15 – 18 years’ Division, the Junior Hunter Division and The Richfield Trophy for the rider and horse combination with the most points in show jumping and dressage. Then at the Bermuda Dressage Group’s 2016 annual awards presentation Truran and DeLeVega were awarded the Championship for the horse/rider with the most points in the First Level division and the Championship for the junior rider with the highest percentage score during the season, Truran is coached locally by Dawn Fox. Trunan continues to broaden his scope of equestrian disciplines by adding Eventing to his portfolio this summer. Truran has just returned from five weeks of training and competing in Ontario under the watchful eye of Garry Roque. Garry was a member of the Bermuda Eventing team at the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden and then he went on to compete at the 1991 Pan American Games, this time on the Canadian team, where the team captured a silver medal in Eventing. He was named the Ontario Leading Male Rider of the Year in 2000, 2001 and 2003. Roque owns Bystorm Farm which is located in Georgetown, Ontario. Eventing has three phases which include dressage, stadium jumping and cross country. The first phase is always the dressage which showcases intricate movements and obedience and grace on the flat. The next phase is the stadium jumping over a course designed to test the horse’s and rider’s ability to negotiate a variety of fences of different heights, widths and technicality which are easily knocked down if touched. Lastly the cross country phase tests the speed, endurance and jumping ability of the horse over varied terrain and obstacles. The cross country phase is all about the questions it asks the horse and rider. The team has to work together even more so. The rider and horse may have to jump up or down a hill and the landing on the other side of the obstacle is not always seen ahead of time. Some obstacles are in the ground like a ditch and some are through water. The rider must understand how to set their pace on the course because going too fast or too slow will incur penalty points. Most importantly the rider has to ride every jump with confidence and determination and the horse must trust its rider and then they as a team will complete the cross country phase. While at Bystorm Farm Truran received training every day from Roque and had the opportunity to ride an array of horses. Truran competed in Eventing on a Canadian Sport Horse mare named Tangerine Tango FF. This duo were able to build a trusting relationship in a short period of time and among a field of experienced juniors was able to placed third at the Bronte Creek Horse Trials and fourth at the Grand View Horse Trials which qualified the duo for the Ontario Horse Trials Championships scheduled for September.
|