The young Navarrese trained in the Agurain equestrian center will participate in the junior world championship between August 25 and 27 in the French town of Lamotte
Three years ago, a ride on horseback as a birthday present for his sister would change Mikel Zufiaurre’s life. His passion for soccer would soon be overshadowed by horse racing. The idyll was absolute. Under the guidance of Rober, head of the Agurain Equestrian, this young Navarrese from Alsasua was soon federated in Álava and began to compete with Euskadi in the TREC modality -equestrian routes-. The first is orientation. Participants are guided by a map and a compass. The second, called PAR or aerial test on a field of 100 meters delimited by two stripes, the rider leads the horse at a brisk pace but without reaching a trot and returns to a gallop. The last one is called PTV and is carried out in the mountains, where the binomials must overcome the intrinsic obstacles that exist in it, such as, for example, opening a door, jumping, entering a circle, getting off the horse or taking the rider out of the circle. leaving the animal motionless inside.
Zufiarre, who will turn 15 in September, won the bronze medal in the last Spanish championship. He was the best in the orientation test. In 2021 he added silver, showing great skills on his mare ‘Mairu’, an Anglo-Hispanic horse with good characteristics to compete in this equestrian discipline.
Now, from tomorrow until Saturday, the Navarrese rider with a license from Alava will compete in the French town of Lamotte, near Orleans, which hosts the World Championship of equestrian discipline. Zufiaurre will do it in the junior category. Previously, the Spanish team had already held a concentration to prepare for the event during the month of July in Ávila.
