Athena Lekkas & Karthago Di Cabra Journey to Tyron for the 2022 Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships

Lekkas and Karthago Di Cabra (Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography)

Mill Spring, NC (July 18, 2022) - It's been a summer of milestones for Athena Lekkas of Elpida Equestrian, and this week she'll add another in her first Regional Jumper Team Championships. Lekkas, who has been competing her Belgian Warmblood gelding, Karthago Di Cabra at the 1.15-1.20M level, was invited to compete at the Team Championships this summer. The 2022 Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships, Zones 3 & 4 will be held July 20-24 at Tryon International Equestrian Center, and Lekkas will be competing in the USHJA Children’s Zone Championships Individuals.

As her first Championship invitation, Lekkas didn't even have the event on her radar until she finished top 10 in her division during the 2022 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) season. Under the guidance of trainer Ashley Glica of ATG Equestrian and Olympic Eventer Darren Chiacchia, she has grown her partnership with Karthago, with a major focus being their working together as a team and making effective use of the ring and distances.

To sharpen up before Tryon, Lekkas and Karthago perfected their synergy over fences earlier this month at the World Equestrian Center (WEC) Ocala. Building on their first outing to the WEC in June of 2022, when the pair also competed in their first 1.20M class, their July rides were focused on developing cadence between the fences and rhythm between horse and rider. They jumped the 1.20M on Saturday and the 1.25 on Sunday, working on clean efforts and fine-tuning their newest strategy in the ring, counting strides in a 4-beat rhythm. A common practice for riders counting strides both on horseback and when walking a course, the 4-beat counting strategy helps riders measure more effectively in their minds, helping to find their distance to a fence and avoid rushing and, potentially, rails.

"The 4-beat counting has improved my riding immensely in a very short time frame," stated Lekkas. "I'm definitely planning to use it to our advantage in Tryon, and I was so excited when I received the email inviting us to the Championships. It's really a great opportunity to experience a team competition and put all of our hard work and practice to use. Karthago has been a great horse for me; he listens so well at the shows and does just about anything I ask of him. I definitely think his personality is a big factor in his being a successful horse for me."

Lekkas and Karthago Di Cabra (Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography)

As a rising sophomore in at The Benjamin School, Lekkas is a determined rider whose goal is to ride at the Grand Prix level. Her main competition mount, Karthago Di Cabra, is a 17.3h Belgian Warmblood gelding. A stunning golden chestnut, Karthago’s scope and presence have helped Athena move closer to her goal and the pair are currently jumping through the 1.25M division under the tutelage of Ashley Glica of ATG Equestrian. Inspired by her own Greek and Puerto Rican heritage, as well as her passion for show jumping, Lekkas competes under her brand, Elpida Equestrian.

Elpida comes from the ancient Greek word ἐλπίς (elpis) – the personification and spirit of hope in Greek mythology

Lekkas began her riding career at 9-years-old, when a birthday party and subsequent summer camp ignited her passion for horses. She competed in her first show at the Jupiter Horseman’s Association, where she received Grand Champion in the 2-foot Jumpers and Equitation. From there she progressed quickly, building her skill under the guidance of Michele Blair of Desert Rose Ranch, Michael Dorman of Wyndmont, and Sebastian Robayo of Amparo Equestrian.

For more information on Elpida Equestrian, visit www.ElpidaEquestrian.com.

Follow Athena and Elpida Equestrian on Instagram (@elpida_equestrian)!

Media Contact: 
Holly Johnson 
Equinium Sports Marketing, LLC 
www.Equinium.com 
holly@equinium.com 
+1 954 205 7992

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Athena Lekkas and Karthago Di Cabra Make 1.20M Debut at WEC Ocala