European Children Team Rider Senna Evers Switches to Para Sport

The Netherlands

Dutch international pony rider and 2019 European Children Champion Dutch team rider Senna Evers has made the switch to para dressage sport. The 18-year old has been classified into Grade V based on a injury in her childhood. She made her CPEDI debut with Windsor FVE last summer.

Pony and Children Sport

Evers' FEI sport career began in 2017 at age 12 at pony level.

Aboard the former Dutch team pony Majos Cannon (by Marchi x Hassan II) she first gained mileage at CDI shows in Joosland, Sint-Truiden, Roosendaal, Pompadour and Le Mans. In 2018 she premiered a second pony, Macho (by Heitrak's Marvin), at CDI level and competed both that season.

In 2019 Evers got a lucky break when Linda van Woudenberg offered her the ride on the inaugural 2017 European children champion's E-pony Happy Feet (by Tuschinski x Animo). After competing in Joosland and Exloo, Senna and Happy Feet won bronze at the 2019 Dutch Children Championship. They went to the 2019 European Children Championships in San Giovanni in Marignano, where she won team silver and were seventh individually.

On Majos Cannon at the 2017 CDI Sint-Truiden

In the autumn of 2019 Kebie Raaijmakers became his next rider of Happy Feet and Evers went back to pony Majos Cannon with whom she rode the CDI Exloo in October 2019 after which a 1.5 year break from international competition followed, initiated by a shoulder fracture after a fall off a horse in December 2019.

In 2020 she had begun riding horses and got both Gizmo (by United x Junior STV) and Windsor FVE (by Welt Hill x Fürst Heinrich) to ride through trainer Mercedes Verweij. With Gizmo she competed at national junior level in 2020, but it was Windsor with whom she carried through.

She returned to the CDI ring in February 2021 with Majos Cannon and finished the spring season with him, after which both disappeared from the international arena.

"Majos Cannon (21) is now with a super sweet, talented girl where he gets all the love he deserves," Evers told Eurodressage.

The Switch to Para Sport

In June 2023 Senna Evers resurfaced on the international show scene after a two-year break; this time as a para dressage rider.

"Para sport came my way by accident," Evers told Eurodressage. "I had an accident in the past which caused me to have an asymmetric posture in my shoulder and arm. As a young child I was launched off a bouncy pillow and landed on a rock. I fractured my elbow and it was wrongly put in a cast which has limited my movement range. The shoulder fracture in 2019 is part of the problem. It happened to the same arm which makes one arm shorter than the other."

Evers has been training most recently with Dutch para team trainer Joyce van Rooijen-Heuitink as well as with Marja Ubels.

"There I accidentally met Britney (de Jong) and she told me about her competing in para sport. Our disabilities are very similar and that's why I decided to get classified," Evers continued.

Learning the Ways with Windsor

Senna made her CPEDI premier aboard the 7-year old Windsor FVE at the 2023 CPEDI Kronenberg on 17 - 18 June 2023. She rode no less than five para tests with him that weekend, the 2* Intermediaire classes as well as the 3* Grand Prix tests - all in Grade V.

"I saddle broke and trained him myself. He's such a super willing horse," said Senna. "My plans for this year are to compete in some more para shows to perfect the test riding," Senna told Eurodressage in June. "For the rest I train at home because Windsor is still quite young and far from his peak." At national level they are now allowed to compete at ZZ-zwaar level in able-bodied sport

Senna's second CPEDI start was mid December in Genemuiden, where they were 10th in the Grand Prix A (65.385%) and 13th in the Grand Prix B (63.245%).

"I'm so proud of Windsor," Senna took to Facebook. "Unphased and full o energy he gave all he got at that show. Unfortunately it's a judging sport. Aside from that I had super fun days. We'll continue training and at the end of the road he comes home with me. It's all about perseverance, no?!"