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Friday, December 13, 2002
Leviste: City can produce Olympic-class equestrian
OLYMPIAN equestrienne Toni Leviste believes Davao City may yet produce its first Olympian in equestrian with the opening of Marina Park Stables, the first-ever horse riding school in Mindanao, which was inaugurated Thursday.
Leviste led the ceremonial cutting of ribbon together with Dabawenyo Philippine Sports Commissioner Leon Gonzalo Montemayor, Department of Tourism regional director Sonia Garcia, and businessman Anton Lagdameo.
"Definitely, you can produce a future Olympian with this school. It all starts with one step. I was so surprised that something like this will come outside of Manila," Leviste said during the weekly Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum, which followed the inaugural rites in the stables at Matina Aplaya.
The 26-year-old Leviste, whose all-women team won silver for the Philippines in the recent Busan Asian Games, said the opening of the Marina Park Stables paves the way to the development of the sport in this part of the country.
"This is very good for the sport to grow in this area. Actually, my love affair with horses also started in a small arena, a park in Baguio. That's where I developed the interest in horses," she said.
Brawn, she said, is not necessary in this sport, thus women can be at par or even better than men here.
"It is not about strength. It's the camaraderie and harmony you have with your partner, the four-legged creature. That's why it is only in equestrian that male and female riders compete against each other. Otherwise, there will be divisions," explained Leviste who had been riding for the past 20 years. She started competitive riding in 1997.
Marina Park Stables chairman Andrew Tan, president Dr. Faustino Acosta, secretary lawyer Gerardo Olaguer, and PRO George Walter Misa, along with the other officers and members of the Davao Horseriders Club, were present at the inauguration.
Sports Development Division officer-in-charge Galvani Yanong and DOT-Davao City's Roger Layson also graced the opening rites. MLS
(December 13, 2002 issue)
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