Bermuda’s young equestrian stars are excited to test themselves against their Caribbean counterparts this weekend.

Kimoy Cruickshank, Kayla Bardgett, Sierra Wolffe and Emma Kempe have travelled to Surinam to compete in the Grand Caraibe showjumping competition against riders from Bahamas, Antigua, Cayman Islands, Martinique, Jamaica and Guadeloupe, with the event starting this afternoon and finishing on Sunday.

It is 19-year-old Cruickshank’s third time at the event and he was successful last year as he sets out on a path he hopes will end up at the biggest event of them all.

“My biggest achievement was winning in Surinam last year as that really put my name out there,” Cruickshank said.

“That was good exposure as it was my first time travelling outside of Bermuda. For the next year or two I’m working on getting my name out there, getting my fiirst sponsors so I can slowly make my way in the equestrian industry and build more connections so I have more opportunities. My main ambition is to go up to the Olympics and represent Bermuda.”

Cruickshank has been away from Bermuda for the past three months to gain valuable experience with top trainer Julian Hyde in Jamaica and he feels as if he has learnt a lot in the lead-up to this competition.

“I’ve been helping and teaching lessons to some younger kids, training his young horses and learning as much as I can,” Cruickshank said.

“It’s pretty much an internship for the past three months and I’ve got a better understanding of training younger horses and coaching kids because I got to see his perspective.”

Riders in Surinam compete on borrowed horses and have little time to get to know them but Cruickshank believes his riding instincts are solid.

“When I get on a horse I can instantly feel the different things that it needs help with,” Cruickshank said.

“When I get on I can feel where it’s weak, so that’s where I can help it and work with the horse. As I ride and pick up to the trot and canter, I can see the different things it likes and I try different things to see how it reacts and that’s how I get to develop a small partnership with the horse in the short time that I get.”

Cruickshank’s Bermuda team-mate Kayla Bardgett, 21, is a member of the equestrian team at Savannah College of Art and Design and she is used to having limited time to get to know her mount.

“For showing at SCAD you get on a random horse and walk straight into the ring,” Bardgett said.

“We don’t even get a warm up like we do here, so thankfully I am in that mindset. It’s a random pick as to what horse we get. You’ve just got to pick and pray and then ride to the best of your ability because there are some ponies that just truck along but you have to know how to ride it.

“That’s why so much mental preparation is needed. It takes ability to be able to get on a strange horse and kick around a full jumping course.”

Bardgett has competed in this event before and is delighted to be given the chance to ride for Bermuda and meet up with some old friends.

“It’s a different experience and at a competition like this it’s always amazing to represent Bermuda and hold the flag,” Bardgett said.

“But it’s also super nice to meet people from other Caribbean countries. I’ve seen a lot of people that I met in Martinique so it’s nice to see familiar faces.

“The competition starts on Friday afternoon and I’m excited. It’s so hot here that we actually ride in the evenings once the sun goes down and we compete under the lights, with the final on Sunday evening.”