As the horse riding season at Pine Tree Stables in Freeport draws to a close for the summer, General Manager Linda Buchanan is praising the accomplishments of three young Grand Bahamians who competed at an international competition in Florida this spring on borrowed mounts and won ribbons.

The Plantation Heritage Horse Show was held in Plantation, Florida, on March 4-5.

Representing Grand Bahama were Eleni Klonaris,12, and sisters Peyton Long, 13, and Amelia Long, 10.

Buchanan explained there were obstacles the girls had to overcome.

"We really wanted to go to the event, but in order to do that, we had to use borrowed horses in Florida," she said.

"The girls were able to try out the horses the night before and competed with them the next day. The girls did exceptionally well, especially riding horses that were not familiar to them."

The trio competed individually in Walk-Trot, Walk-Trot-Canter, and Cross-Rail courses.

Eleni said she was excited heading into her first international competition.

She received second and third-place finishes in two of four events, including the Walk-Trot-Canter division.

"It was an amazing experience," Eleni said.

"At the beginning, I was a little bit nervous because I was only able to ride Chief once before the competition began, but as time went on, I got more comfortable with him and was able to do well in my course."

Peyton, who placed second in three of her events, shared similar sentiments.

"Riding Dolce during the competition started out a bit rough because I had only ridden him once which was the night before the competition," she said.

"Then, it started to get better once I stopped being nervous and remembered everything that I learned."

Despite being the youngest rider from Grand Bahama, Amelia said she felt confident with her skills. It was this confidence that secured her second place in one of her events.

"I have been riding for a while and I practice a lot, so I just tried to remember what I learned and I feel like I did a good job," she said.

Buchanan explained that the girls are dedicated to the sport and have adopted a rigorous practice schedule with Eleni and Peyton riding every day while Amelia rides every other day.

"These girls have been training with me for years and I know what they are capable of," she said.

"However, I was amazed at what they were able to do at the show. They were able to adapt to the new horses fairly quickly. They were prepared, confident, and looked really good while competing against some more experienced riders at an international event."

Kristi Long, Peyton's and Amelia's mother, said, "The girls work extremely hard and are very dedicated. I am very proud of what they were able to accomplish in Plantation and I know that they will continue to do well."

Eleni's mother, Kim Klonaris, added, "I'm impressed with the group's performance. This was the first time they had to compete riding unfamiliar horses. They pulled together and did exceptionally well against persons who compete on a weekly basis."

The girls hope to engage in more international competitions.

"It was such a great experience to compete against persons from abroad," Peyton said. "I hope that we get to do it again real soon."

Eleni added, "Every rider has a different style, so it was good to see these people from different places ride. It was a learning experience. I am very proud of what we were able to accomplish at the show and I know that when we compete again that we will all do even better at future events."

Amelia also looks forward to more training and competitions, while encouraging other young people.

"Be brave," she said. "Try something that you have never done before, and never give up on your dreams."

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