Robin Stempel will finally get the opportunity to fulfil her ambition of representing Bermuda at the North American Youth Championships, in Traverse City, Michigan, today.

After the prestigious competition was delayed by a day because of severe storms causing damage and power outages across the midwestern state, the Bermudian rider, on board gelding Rossano Royal 2, will take to the arena for her first dressage test today, before returning for her second test tomorrow.

The international competition brings together the region’s best young riders, aged from 14 to 21 to compete in the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of dressage, show jumping and eventing.

More than 200 equestrians from eight countries including the United States, Canada, Bermuda, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Panama will compete at the event.

Stempel, who trains out of Friendship Field Farm in Dublin, New Hampshire, sealed her spot at the championships by securing the five requisite qualifying scores to be eligible.

Having achieved qualifying scores of 62 per cent in the team test and an average qualifying score of 64.7 per cent in the individual test at the Spring Fever Dressage Show at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina in April, Stempel went on to secure scores of 67.721 points in the FEI Young Riders PSG team test, 66.029 in the individual test and a combined score of 69.125 per cent in the freestyle test at the dressage in the Sandhills event in Pinehurst, North Carolina, a month later.