Anya Levermann, 17, of 100 Mile House, BC continued to prove she is a force to be reckoned with in international endurance after her first-place finish in the CEI 3* division of the Get-R-Done Endurance Ride in Inyokern, CA, held Nov. 4, 2017.
Levermann was partnered with Monk, a 15-year-old Arabian gelding owned by Chris Martin that she first began riding in 2016. Inyokern marked the pair’s second victory to date, having also won the CEI YJ-2* 120km division in Trout Lake, WA this past May.
“I really like riding him,” said Levermann of Monk, who helped her become Canada’s first Young Rider to earn FEI Elite status following their performance in Washington. “He’s really competitive and he doesn’t really like to slow down.”
The pair covered the 160km distance in just under 11 hours, riding at an average speed of 14.58 km/h. The course was located in the middle of the desert, with the barren landscape providing its own unique challenges.
“There were three loops and we did each one twice. The first 7.2 miles of every loop was the same, so it got really repetitive,” Levermann commented about the challenges of the course. “I think mentally, for the riders and the horses, it got a little draining because you had to do the same start six times.”
Out of the 21 competitors to start the race, Levermann and nine others persevered to make it to the finish line. In addition, Levermann was one of only four riders who finished under the 11 hour and 25 minute cut-off to earn a Certificate of Completion (COC), which is an eligibility requirement for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Mill Spring, NC. This was the last qualifying ride that Levermann needed to be in contention for Canada’s endurance team at WEG.
Levermann’s victory at Inyokern is the newest addition to an impressive string of finishes accumulated in 2017. She was second in the CEI YJ-2* 120km division in Williston, FL aboard DCL Mooi Penny in March, plus won the CEI YJ-3* 160km division at Spruce Woods Provincial Park, MB in July with Nightwind’s Indigo Bey.
Furthermore, this past September, Levermann became the first Canadian to complete the 120km ride at the FEI World Endurance Championships for Juniors and Young Riders in Verona, ITA.
For full results from the Get-R-Done Endurance Ride in Inyokern, CA, click here.
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