Yvonne Losos de Muñiz Prepares for World Equestrian Games


Yvonne Losos de Muñiz of the Dominican Republic and Optimus Prime competing in Wellington, Florida. Photo by Susan J. Stickle, www.SusanJStickle.com

April 12, 2010 – Wellington, Florida – Yvonne Losos de Muñiz of the Dominican Republic wrapped up a successful winter show season in Florida in preparation for the upcoming 2010 Central American Games in Puerto Rico and the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in the United States.

There are two major games on this year’s agenda for Losos de Muñiz. The first is the Central American Games which will take place in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, in July. Held at the Intermediaire level, Losos de Muñiz is in the enviable position of having three mounts - Dondolo Las Marismas, Royal Affair and San Piko, to choose from. All three horses had top five placings in large CDI classes throughout the winter season in Wellington, Florida, and are strong medal contenders for the Central American Games, where the Dominican Republic expects to field a full dressage team.

Losos de Muñiz recently renewed her training partnership with Diederik Wigmans of the Netherlands, who she successfully worked with at the beginning of her international career. Wigmans will act as coach of the entire Dominican Republic team for the Central American Games, as well as for Losos de Muñiz individually as she pursues her goal of representing the Dominican Republic at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Looking forward to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games taking place this fall in Lexington, Kentucky, Losos de Muñiz has been making steady progress with her new mount, Optimus Prime. Owned by Las Marismas, Optimus Prime is a 16-year-old Austrian Warmblood by Lux that was purchased in December from California. Losos de Muñiz and Optimus Prime have spent the winter season getting to know each other and consistently improving their scores in the show ring.

“I am very pleased with the progress of my grand prix horse, Optimus Prime,” said Losos de Muñiz. “I have only had him for three months and he has progressed by leaps and bounds. He has shown much improvement in his movements, and is now consistently scoring in the 65 to 67% range at Grand Prix.”

With improved scores at every outing, Losos de Muñiz will now head to Lexington, Kentucky, for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games test event for dressage to be held April 19-22. From there, she will contest the CDI Allentown, New Jersey, from May 27-30 in the hopes of earning her qualifying scores for the FEI World Equestrian Games, September 25 to October 10. If Losos de Muñiz competes at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games this fall, she will become the first equestrian athlete from the Dominican Republic to do so.

In 2003 in her hometown of Santo Domingo, Losos de Muñiz made history by becoming the first equestrian athlete to win a medal for the Dominican Republic at the Pan American Games. Four years later, at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Losos de Muñiz repeated her Individual Bronze Medal performance.

Losos de Muñiz and her husband, Eduardo Muñiz, operate Las Marismas in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In order to pursue her competitive goals, Losos de Muñiz has spent significant time training and competing in both Europe and the United States over the past decade.