Mérida, Yucatán — Equestrian sports are growing in Yucatán, where riders work harder and travel farther to compete successfully on a national level.
Called hipismos in Spanish, enthusiasts breed and train horses to compete in equestrian events.
At Club Hípico del Sureste, or in English, the Equestrian Club of the Southeast, riders are preparing to take part in a late-April competition a thousand kilometers away in Xalapa.
The equestrian club’s geographical position on the Peninsula is an obstacle, being far from the interior of the country where horse-riding is most popular, said Leopoldina Casares Ávila de Castro, president of the club.
“Being away from the center of the country, where the best competitions take place, takes a bit of work and many hours of travel, but even so, the hipismo in Yucatán competes at a high level because we are worrying about preparing our riders better,” said Casares Avila de Castro.
After more than 15 years, you can see how horse riding has evolved in Yucatán, she said. Club Hípico del Sureste has also attracted members from the United States and Canada.
Building horse-riding skills on a competitive level requires full-time dedication, she said. The dedication has paid off.
“We have had many national champions, both from this equestrian club and from the others that exist in the state,” she said.
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Source: Sipse
