No one reins on Toni Leviste’s parade

Bernadette Soriano

Neigh-sayers! Where you at?

In a resounding display of her enduring athleticism and evolving mastery, Toni Leviste, a 51-year old stalwart of Philippine equestrianism, etched a new chapter in the country’s sporting annals by clinching first place in the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) Prix St. Georges in Belgium on July 19, 2025 — becoming the first Filipino rider to win an international dressage event in Europe.

Riding Lacoste 126, her Hanoverian gelding, Leviste delivered a poised and technically refined performance, earning a score of 68.603 %, which surpassed both the event’s competitive threshold and the SEA Games qualification mark of 67%. Her feat not only represented a personal evolution from decades of show jumping into the rigorously aesthetic discipline of dressage, but also served as a national milestone, emblematic of the Philippines’ expanding presence on the global equestrian stage.

“I want to extend my riding career and represent my country in more equestrian disciplines around the world. I am a Filipino athlete in my heart and soul,” Leviste shared, her statement resonating with both patriotic fervor and unwavering personal ambition.

From olympian to dressage pioneer

A former Olympian — having represented the Philippines at the 2000 Sydney Games — and a multiple SEA Games medalist in show jumping, Leviste’s transition into dressage marks not merely a shift in discipline, but a recalibration of legacy. Her participation in the European circuit and subsequent qualification for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December exemplify the interplay of reinvention, resilience, and regional aspiration.

Judged by FEI four-star officials Michel Bouvy and F. Mleyman, her triumph was far from a perfunctory win; it was, instead, a testament to enduring technical precision, a deep well of competitive insight, and the maturity earned only through decades of global competition.

Technical precision, artistic expression

Coming in contrast to the dynamic aggression of show jumping, dressage demands an intricate synergy between athletic precision, choreographic discipline, and communicative subtlety. Leviste’s seamless transition into a new equestrian discipline speaks volumes of her adaptability, affirming a stature that remains unshaken by age or the boundaries of specialization.

Her Belgian triumph, occurring within a milieu often dominated by European riders with generational access to elite training systems, underscores both the rarity and significance of her accomplishment. It also repositions the Philippines within a sport long characterized by geopolitical exclusivity and systemic inaccessibility.

National implications and sporting continuity

Leviste’s qualification for the SEA Games is more than a procedural outcome. It is a symbolic reclamation of the Philippines’ capacity to contend in equestrian disciplines at both regional and international levels. Her sustained presence within the sport offers a model of athletic longevity, wherein experience does not merely accompany performance but actively enhances it.

Moreover, her resurgence in the competitive arena amid a younger field of athletes speaks to the transformative potential of institutional support, international exposure, and athlete-driven evolution — components that Philippine sports development must increasingly acknowledge and nurture.

Legacy in motion

As Toni Leviste prepares for her SEA Games campaign this December, what remains most compelling is not merely her list of accolades, but her unwavering commitment to redefining what it means to represent the nation across time, terrain, and tradition.

From Sydney to Belgium, from show jumping’s vertical feats to dressage’s horizontal elegance, Leviste has demonstrated that the pursuit of excellence, when rooted in both purpose and passion, can transcend generational expectations and disciplinary boundaries.