Teen rider Michelle on track to the top

Teenaged equestrienne Michelle Cojuangco Barrera hopes to someday represent the Philippines in the Olympics. It’s the dream of every athlete. And Michelle is working hard to make that dream come true.

Michelle, 17, recently took ninth place in her first start at the World Cup qualifiers in Kiama, New South Wales. She was the youngest World Cupper ever and stole the thunder from 15 other competitors, including three of Australia’s four Sydney Olympic riders.

The World Cup qualifiers are preliminaries to the 2002 World Championships.

It was an auspicious debut for Michelle who just graduated from the junior ranks. She wasn’t expected to create a stir, considering her inexperience, but produced outstanding results.

After Kiama, Michelle participated in a second World Cup qualifier in Canberra and placed 11th, another respectable finish.

Clearly, Michelle has stolen the hearts of Australian equestrian fans. She’s been interviewed by Channel 7 in Sydney and SBS Television. And in the April 2001 issue of The Horse Magazine, Australia’s No. 1 equestrian publication, Michelle was on the cover and featured in an 8-page article, showing eight pictures of her in action.

The 5-3, 110-pound Michelle is dwarfed by the huge thoroughbreds she rides. But it’s not the size of her body that counts. Rather, it’s how big her heart is and her uncanny ability to motivate her horse to win. Michelle loves horses and it shows in the way she relates to her mount. That’s why Michelle is drawing raves in the international showjumping arena.

Michelle is a Grade 12 student at Tangara School for Girls in Sydney. She studied at Poveda Learning Center in Manila before leaving with her family for Australia in 1996. She is the second of four children of Mike and Tina Barrera and a granddaughter of San Miguel Corp. Chairman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco.

Last year, Michelle took second place in the 16-and-under junior division of the Australian Showjumping Championships in Adelaide. The Sydney newspaper Hills Shire Times reported that she jumped a double clear round in the junior team event to power New South Wales to third place and was one of only three riders to jump clean in the first round of the Young Riders (16-to-21 age group) division.

Michelle is one of six elite riders in the New South Wales training and development squad. She was recently selected to join the Equestrian Federation of Australia National Young Rider Showjumping Squad–a distinct honor in that the team was formed to recognize young showjumpers throughout Australia.

Since moving to Australia, Michelle has topped at least 13 competitions and won four New South Wales junior titles.

"Eventually, I want to compete in the (Olympic) Games but for now, my goal is to improve my riding in Australia then hopefully to compete in Europe," said Michelle, quoted by writer Roz Neave.

Asked about her plans beyond riding, Michelle replied: "I’m trying to get into medicine and after about 10 years, I think I’ll switch over and do dermatology. I’m studying Year 12 so it should be interesting how the riding and the studies go. I think I will have to cut down and just do a few major shows, concentrate on the grades."

Michelle’s coach Chris Chugg, a former Olympic rider, has high hopes for her.

"She is probably the best student I’ve had," said Chugg. "She pays attention, she can pick up things and do it at the canter. Michelle is not a ribbon-hungry person but she has got the understanding the horse is being trained for the bigger picture. Michelle is always training. She rides five times a week and even at the shows in warming up and training, I always keep an eye on her. In the long term, she is going to have a horsemanship and a ringcraft with horses that not many riders have. There are no young riders who I have seen come through the ranks in the past 10 years, who have had this sort of steady progression from juniors to young riders to Grand Prix."Chugg said the ultimate objective is to qualify Michelle for the Olympics.

"Michelle is preparing for 2004, for the next Olympics," he continued. "That is the aim. Her family is prepared to back her, my job is to make sure that Michelle is a very seasoned rider by the time she is 20, then she will start touring the world. If Michelle gets to the next Olympics, that’s great but the most important thing is that if she gets there, she is ready. It’s amazing how quickly she has come on."