Silver lining for RP riders

They were the fairest of them all. On the dais, the four Filipina equestriennes stood proudly with silver medals around their necks. Japan took the gold with an all-male cast but the pretty Filipinas stole the thunder in the team showjumping event at the just concluded 14th Asian Games in Busan.

It was the first-ever Asiad medal for the Philippines in showjumping, a difficult two-round equestrian team event. At the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, the Philippines bagged its first and only equestrian medal, a bronze, in dressage through the efforts of Steven and Mariella Virata, Fedilino Barba, and Jose Montilla until Busan came along.

What made the Filipinas’ feat more glowing was each of the four riders contributed to the silver windup. Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski and Danielle Cojuangco rode flawlessly in the first round then Michelle Cojuangco Barrera and Toni Leviste did the trick in the second to lift the Philippines to a sterling finish. Nothing was served on a silver platter for the gritty Filipinas who placed third after the first round then improved to second on the final day of competition.

The Philippines sent a fifth equestrienne, Paola Cojuangco who is Danielle’s younger sister, to Busan as a reserve.

Mikee, 28, competed in her third straight Asian Games but Busan had to be the sweetest tour of duty. The Ateneo psychology graduate hadn’t medalled previously. A former TV and movie star, she retired to keep house for husband Dodot Jaworski and their two kids until deciding to go for another crack at an Asiad medal. In 1998, Mikee collected golds in both team and individual competitions at the World Cup qualifiers and the Nations Cup in Kuala Lumpur so she’s no stranger to victory.

Toni, 29, advanced to ride at the Sydney Olympics two years ago after finishing among the top three in the Asia-Pacific Region qualifiers in Falsterbo, Sweden. To compete in the Olympics was the crowning glory of her riding career–until Busan. She prepared long and hard for the Asian Games by joining competitions in Europe the past year–a supreme sacrifice for the 5-2 equestrienne who barnstormed the circuit alone.

The new kids on the block were impressive in their first Asian Games appearance. Danielle, 17, and Michelle, 18, are first cousins and granddaughters of San Miguel Corp. chairman Eduardo (Danding) and Gretchen Cojuangco. Mikee is their aunt. Danielle’s parents are Pangasinan Rep. Mark and Kimi Cojuangco. Michelle’s parents are Mike and Tina Cojuangco-Barrera.

Danielle made her debut as a national equestrienne at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur last year. In the run-up to Busan, Danielle saw action in a series of grueling competitions in Kuala Lumpur this year and picked up a pair of first-place trophies. She also competed in the Asian Equestrian Championships in Tokyo this year, winding up fourth.

Danielle and sister Paola, both honor students, took their first riding lessons when they were six at the Manila Polo Club. "It was love at first sight," chorused the sisters of their fatal attraction to horses. Every day for the last 10 years, the siblings spend at least three hours around horses. They shovel sawdust, sweep the poop, clean the stables, feed, bathe and, of course, ride the horses. They’re far from being primadonnas. They’re used to getting down and dirty.

Danielle would’ve saddled up her favorite Dutch warmblood Able Agent in Busan but the horse was injured due to the faulty handling of an airline loader on an aborted trip to Kuala Lumpur a few months ago. Danielle had trained four years on Able Agent. In Busan, she rode her second choice, Ascot T, an eight-year-old Dutch-French warmblood.

Danielle said she owes her accomplishments in riding to her grandparents, her parents, aunt Janine Santos, "riding mom" Mitos Belofsky, and her Australian coach Chris Chugg.

Michelle trained for Busan in Australia, where her family has lived since 1996, and in Spain. The 5-3, 110-pound equestrienne has topped over 15 competitions in Australia where she was the New South Wales junior rider of the year in 2001. Her burning ambition is to represent the Philippines in the Olympics.

"The Olympics? I think that’s every athlete’s dream," said Michelle in an e-mail to The STAR last year. "I’m just hoping to make it a reality. Athens is the goal and it would be a blessing if I got there but if I don’t, I still have 2008 and 2012 to try for. The beauty about this sport is you can keep at it no matter how old you get. In fact, the longer you stay in it, the better you become. The 2000 Olympics was a real eye-opener for me. I saw that the gap between the gods and goddesses of riding and the rest of the world was not nearly as big as I thought. It was just like (coach) Vicki (Roycroft) once told me, ‘Riding is one of the toughest sports because it requires the synchronizing of two minds at the right time and the right place.’ Those who could do that on the day of competition won and that was it."

Michelle pointed to teammate Toni as a guiding light. "Seeing Toni competing in the Olympics made it all feel really close to home," she said. "Toni had set herself a goal and worked her hardest to achieve it. I’m hoping to follow in her footsteps. I’ve set a goal and now all the work is ahead to make my dream a reality."

Both first cousins said without their grandparents’ support, they wouldn’t have been able to succeed.

"Our lolo (Mr. Cojuangco) and ‘ta (short for abuelita–grandmother–or Mrs. Cojuangco) are so supportive of us," said Danielle. "Win or lose, they’re always encouraging us to improve, to do better, to ride the best we can."

Michelle’s father Mike chimed in, "Her grandfather is her inspiration. When he’s in Australia and Michelle is competing, he’ll make time to watch her. He has always advised Michelle to take her time, to invest her time wisely in training. He often tells her that success doesn’t come overnight but it will come with hard work, dedication and discipline."

In Busan, Mr. and Mrs. Cojuangco were in the stands to cheer for their granddaughters. The parents were there, too, applauding the country’s newest sports heroines.

But it wasn’t just a family celebration as the Filipina equestriennes wrote a silver chapter to their Asian Games storybook. The entire nation toasted, too, as the fair ladies–Mikee, Toni, Danielle and Michelle–proved their mettle as world-class riders.