Yvonne Losos, a Dominican Olympic dressage rider based in Spain, will compete at the International Equestrian Federation's World Championship in Aachen, Germany. She rides Idwinaretto, a mare who will be making her World Championship debut, after previously competing at the Herning World Championship.
Three Olympic Games, six Pan American Games, three World Cup Finals in Paris in 2018, Gothenburg in 2019 and Leipzig in 2022, and one World Championship have made Losos a leading figure in Latin American dressage. She said experience does not take away the emotion of qualifying for a competition at this level. Losos said being at a new World Championship again is something very special, adding that there is never a guarantee of reaching the center line at a championship, so entering the German arena would be a great relief for her and a moment to enjoy all the hard work it took to get there.
Idwinaretto's gradual rise
Idwinaretto has had a slow progression, and Losos said she respected her partner's own pace of maturing. She described the mare as very elegant and special, saying Idwinaretto has matured and improved by leaps and bounds in recent years. Losos said she took her time with the mare and it paid off, calling her one of those horses that deserve to be on such a special stage. She said the moments before competing bring excitement and relief, but above all nerves, good nerves, adding that if she is not excited and nervous, she should not be competing.
A routine built on ritual
Losos said she follows a clearly defined routine that helps her face competition calmly, with rituals to make sure she is as prepared as possible, both physically and mentally. Her final ritual begins two hours before she mounts to warm up. She said everything she does to prepare has its own place and moment, from cleaning her boots to putting on her tailcoat, and that this system confirms to her that she is fully ready. She said that when a good result comes, her first thought always goes to her horse, her companion.
Latin America's rising generation
Losos said she watches the growth of dressage in Latin America with optimism. She said the sport there is constantly improving, and it is exciting to see a new generation of Latin American riders making the effort to invest in good training and good horses, while also learning to be competitive on the international stage in Europe and North America. That progress, she said, allows her to look to the future with optimism and confirms that more Latin American riders are able to compete with real chances against the discipline's traditional powers.
Losos said she has had the privilege of competing with some of the best horses in history, saying there have been many incredible horses and she cannot settle on just one. Her advice for riders who are just starting out is to simply keep doing what they have been doing every day, trusting the process.
