Cody Rego’s fine form continued at the 2023 ASPCA Maclay Finals, where he rode Ironman through to the final jumping and equitation testing round and was awarded an extremely commendable fourth place.

Starting at 7am and finishing some 12 hours later, the finals began with an initial round over fences, after which the four judges selected a smaller number of riders to proceed to the equitation on the flat phase.

Following that, the field was narrowed further and the remaining riders, which included Rego, returned for a second round of jumping tests.

Rego was not Bermuda’s only representative at the finals with equestrians Julia Slade and Nicolas Lopes also successfully qualifying for the finals but, while both riders navigated the challenging first jumping round, they did not progress to the latter phases.

The ASPCA Maclay Finals is considered one of the top Annual Equitation Championships, with thousands of talented equestrians (aged 18 years and under) striving to qualify for the finals, which are held annually on the first Sunday in November at the National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky.

Throughout the qualifying year, which ends on August 31, riders strive to qualify for regional competitions by participating in Maclay classes held at sanctioned events. These regional competitions are held in ten different States, providing an opportunity for riders throughout the USA to compete in these top-level competitions.

Riders vie for top placings in the Regional classes to enable them to advance to the Maclay Finals, which is considered one of the most prestigious competitions for junior riders. Its winners have included some of the biggest names in equestrian sport such as Frank Chapot, George Morris, Eryn Ballard, and Jessica Springsteen.