(CNN Philippines) — Filipino equestrienne Toni Leviste landed a first-place finish at the Grand Prix of Samorin in the X-Bionic Sphere Sports Complex in Slovakia on Sunday.
Leviste finished atop the CSI2* grand prix competition, posting a score of 55.90 seconds with one penalty, beating out Ukraine’s Oleksandr Prodan and Belgium’s Thierry Goffinet.
Together with her 17-year old stallion, Maximillian, the Philippine Asian Games silver medalist beat out a field of 47 other riders in the competition.
“I am still in shock actually, and amazed how we bested them,” Leviste said in a phone call with CNN Philippines.
Leviste added that the Samorin GP was the last stop of her preparations for the upcoming South East Asian (SEA) Games in August, and didn’t expect to challenge for top honors.
“Today everything just fell into place, I bested some of the best riders in the world.” Leviste said. “I am humbled by the experience.”
In fact, the 43-year old equestrienne said that she didn’t even know if the organizers had a copy of ‘Lupang Hinirang’ for the awarding ceremony.
“When I heard the Philippine anthem playing in the stadium, it brought me so much pride and honor.” Leviste bared. “I wasn’t sure that they (organizers) expected the Philippine anthem to be played.”
Despite the advancing age of Maximillian, Leviste says that her stallion ‘has never felt so good and so fit in his life’ ahead of the upcoming SEA Games.
Along with fellow equestrians Joker Arroyo, Colin Syquia, and Chiara Amor, Leviste now has her eyes set on regaining dominance in South East Asia for the Philippines.
In the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore, the Philippines failed to win a medal in any of the equestrian competitions.
The Philippine team will compete in show jumping from August 26 to 28 at the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.
While Ina Ayala will be the country’s lone representative in the dressage category from August 22 to 24.
