They could be called the Special Ks.
Dressage rider Kate Kyros and her new horse Intro K had the equestrian community scrambling for the record books recently when she produced a score of 72.402 percent in the Young Riders Individual event at the internationally-ranked Dressage by the Sea.
The FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale) event at the Willinga Park complex in Bawley Point, NSW, was the 18-year-old’s first appearance on Intro K and also her debut in the 16-21-year-old Young Riders’ division.
She is now waiting on official confirmation from the sport’s governing body in Switzerland that her score is a new national record for the division.
“It really is the best of the best at those competitions,’’ Kyros said.
“I won two of the competitions and came second in the other.
“I have only just aged out of the juniors so it was great to have success and I feel really lucky to have Intro who has so much natural talent.’’
Last year Kyros was the most successful junior in Australia but she admits to being suprised at her ability to take that winning form into her first outing at the next level.
Kyros is now reassessing her competitive schedule for the year and considering a trip to the three-month winter series in Florida where the best riders from around the world compete in major events such as the Adequan Global Dressage Festival and the Palm Beach Dressage Derby.
“We weren’t really sure what to expect with a new horse and the first time for me up in the young riders’ bracket. You don’t know where you stand,” she said.
“But to go out and really smash the scores, we think we have the Australian record beaten, it is insane.
“So, Mum and I have now had a more serious discussion about going to Florida at the end of the year.
“Because really if I can have great success all through this year it is a real possibility that I could do well over there.’’
The Bond University Law and Business student backed up her feats last weekend with another stunning display on the Sunshine Coast, this time on her other horse Tommy, (pictured who's competition name is Chemistry).
It was a smaller event but critical for Kyros’s ambitions to also ride Tommy, who is already a world-ranked dressage horse, in competition.
“Because he is at the top level of the sport, for a young rider like me to take on the ride I have to take him down a level to get qualifying scores to then go back up to the top level,” she explained.
“So, I won both the competitions I rode him in and got the scores I need so now I can work my way up.’’
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