Yvonne Losos de Muñiz will become the first equestrian athlete to represent the Dominican Republic in a world championship event when the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are held Sept. 25 to Oct. 10 in Lexington, Ky. Losos de Muñiz received the final scores she needed to qualify for the WEG at the Lamplight CDI, held May 21-23 in Wayne, Ill.

Previously, Losos de Muñiz earned team and individual bronze medals at the 2003 Pan American Games. Four years later, she claimed the individual bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Losos de Muñiz will be heading to the WEG with Optimus Prime, a 16-year-old Austrian Warmblood by Lux. The pair earned a score of 64.766 percent to place third in the Grand Prix at Lamplight before winning the Grand Prix Special (64.41%).

“It has been a long, hard road to get to where we are today,” said Losos de Muñiz. “I am so grateful to my family and my entire support group for their love, patience and dedication. A special mention must go out to our Dominican Equestrian Federation President, Jose Manuel Ramos, who has long been a positive driving force for equestrian sport in our country, supporting not only dressage, but also show jumping, reining, eventing and endurance.”

Before contesting at the WEG this fall, Losos de Muñiz will compete in July as a member of the Dominican Republic’s team at the 2010 Central American Games in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The Dominican team will be under the guidance of Losos de Muñiz’s personal coach, Diederik Wigmans of the Netherlands.