Magical Week in Mexico for Young Jumping Talents

Young athletes from five continents came together in Mexico to display their riding skills and sportsmanship in the 2024 FEI Jumping Children's Classics Final.

A total of 32 children from 10 countries participated in the event, which was held at Rancho Salazar, Lerma de Villada in Mexico in November. Argentina, Australia, Columbia, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, South Africa, Syria, Zimbabwe and hosts Mexico were all represented.

Each young athlete, aged 12 to 14, had qualified for the final during the FEI Jumping Children's Classics Gold Tour season. In Mexico, they had the honour of taking on a challenging course set by leading FEI course designer Quintin Maertens (NED).

Priscila Pasquel stands on top of the podium

Priscila’s daring pays off 

Mexico’s Priscila Pasquel came out on top in the event, with success coming thanks to her own horse Day Dream Des Lones and some good advice from her father!

Initially finding the technicalities of the tracks challenging, the final saw the 14-year-old throwing her doubts to the wind. In the jump-off she took a tight line inside the double on her father’s advice that: “If you want to win it, you need to take that turn.”

That angle clinched the gold a mere 0.05 seconds ahead of second place, but Priscila says that the next best part of this competition was making new friends and experiencing how other riders and cultures approach training and competing.

Podium peer pressure 

Mexico took the other two podium positions too in what was a successful week for the hosts. Runner-up was Ximena Arroyo Garcin, while Eva Montemayor Galvan came third.

In fourth place, and the top-placed international visitor was Columbia’s Isabella Lozano Santamaria, on the borrowed Carabela.

The 13-year-old said: “The part I liked the most about being here is the people and the ambience, and getting to know my horse, Carabela. I feel I was very lucky that I got that horse, because everything went great with her; we made a great team.”

The winning team celebrates in Mexico

Farewell fantastic

The Farewell competition was won by Argentinian rider Martina Orozco Robello on the borrowed Fatima San Isidro. Channelling her aspirations to represent her country at the FEI World Championships one day, she finished on a fast clear over three seconds ahead of Syria’s Abdallah Ali, who was closely followed by Mexico’s Maria Alicia Nassar.

There was also an exciting Team competition, which saw athletes from hosts Mexico and the other nations joining together. Coming out on top was a team of Panamanian, Argentinian and Mexican talent, with Honduran, South African and Colombian visitors flying their countries’ flags high.

At the close, Event President Ricardo Nizri said: “It is not only an honour and a privilege, but the duty of us elders to guide these young riders on their journey.”

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