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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Olympian Toni Leviste qualifies two horse-and-rider combinations for 2026 Asian Games

Olympian Toni Leviste qualifies two horse-and-rider combinations for 2026 Asian Games

Published Jul 6, 2026 12:27 pm  |  Updated Jul 6, 2026 02:56 pm

At A Glance

  • Olympian and veteran equestrian athlete Toni Leviste bolstered the country's campaign for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games after qualifying both of her horse-and-rider combinations for the dressage competition in the continental meet slated in Japan.
Toni Leviste (Toni Levister Facebook post)
Toni Leviste (Toni Levister Facebook post)
Olympian and veteran equestrian athlete Toni Leviste bolstered the country's campaign for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games after qualifying both of her horse-and-rider combinations for the dressage competition in the continental meet slated in Japan.
Leviste achieved the required Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERs) with both Lacoste 126 and Fanto through FEI-recognized international competitions in Europe, powered by her strong showings at CDI Brno in the Czech Republic and CDI Kronberg in Germany last month.
Under the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) rules, each horse-and-rider combination must independently achieve a minimum qualifying score of 62 percent in FEI-recognized CDI competitions under international judging panels.
If the Equestrian Association of the Philippines (EAP) makes its final nod on July 15, Leviste will mark her fifth Asian Games stint and her first in the dressage event of the quadrennial meet which set its competition at JRA Equestrian Park in Tokyo.
The 52-year-old Leviste marked her Asian Games debut in 1998 when Thailand hosted the continental meet where she eventually won a silver in show jumping alongside Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski in the 2002 edition in Busan, South Korea.
With her preparations now in full swing, Leviste looks forward to once again carrying the Philippine flag with pride on the international stage, a privilege she said she will never take for granted.
"Representing the Philippines has always been one of the greatest privileges of my life. Qualifying both Lacoste, my partner at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, and Fanto, a horse rescued from the war in Ukraine, for the Asian Games makes this achievement especially meaningful," said Leviste.
"I am deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey, and I now look forward to continuing our preparations and proudly representing our country once again," she added.
Fanto's story, in particular, has drawn attention after the 11-year-old German Warmblood gelding was rescued from Ukraine when the stable where he had been kept was destroyed during a bombing in 2024.
Apart from her Asian Games exploits, Leviste has competed in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, appeared in multiple FEI World Championships, and the FEI World Cup Jumping Finals before shifting her focus to dressage in 2023.

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Toni Leviste Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games Japan
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