JERSEY’S equestrian community has a new star rising through the ranks, as local para-athlete Ryan Le Monnier is turning heads in Dressage.
This year has been a busy one for the equestrian athlete, but equally full of success as he
performed exceptionally well on the national stage.
The rider travelled over to the mainland, competing in Cornwall’s Regional Qualifiers, where the Jerseyman shone bright in the arena, amassing an impressive score of 73.09% to rank first.
Such a successful outing then saw him qualify for the national competition, taking part in the RDA National Championship, hosted in Hartpury.
There, he didn’t just participate, he made a statement, showcasing some excellent technique and movements to score 72.38%, seeing him once again shoot to the top of the leaderboard and take first place in his class.
These scores are no small feat, as his mother, Karen Le Monnier, explains: “Ryan’s certainly up there, he’s aiming to get into the GB squad and his scores are already higher than some of their riders.
“That’s no small feat, I mean Team GB have won the world championships, so for Ryan to be scoring higher, that’s big and it shows his level.”
As Ryan Le Monnier is autistic, and not physically paralyzed, the rider competes in Grade 7. Originally meant as a source of therapy, the equestrian was recommended to get into the competitive side by none other than Simon Laurens, a Paralympic gold medallist from the Beijing 2008 games.
From there on, Ryan Le Monnier hasn’t looked back, consistently improving and showing his talent over the past four years.
As the local star consistently proves his ability on some of the sport’s biggest stages, his spirit never dwindles, according to Karen Le Monnier: “Ryan is so excited with what he’s achieving, and he really does take it in his stride. With his autism, he doesn’t fully understand the weight of what he’s achieving, but that helps with nerves I think as well.”
Beyond what goes on in the arena, Karen Le Monnier has recognised big improvements in her son during day-to-day life, accrediting dressage as with having a key role in his development.
“Riding has been a massive help, it really calms him down and makes him happy, which is the most important thing,” Le Monnier’s mother continued.
“He’s just become so much more confident now, especially since doing strength and conditioning training at Strive, that’s helped a lot.
“Personally, working with the horses and interacting with them has brought out a real caring side in Ryan, which has been lovely to see.
“Jersey’s local equestrian community have really accepted him, they’ve been a huge help in all of his success and development.”
It hasn’t been easy for the local equestrian talent, as he’s had to overcome many obstacles, making his success story all the more inspiring.
“Before he was eight years old, we were told Ryan would never be able to talk or achieve much by the Great Ormand Street Hospital, now look at him, he’s proved them all wrong,” Karen Le Monnier exclaimed.
“I’m just so proud of him, everyone doubted him and he’s put in so much work. The family motto is ‘never be told you can’t do something’, and Ryan has really done us and himself proud.”
Ryan Le Monnier’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed, as his immense achievements have earned him a spot on Jersey Sport’s Performance Sport Programme 2025 cohort, now benefitting from this valuable support to attend more competitions than ever before.
“The financial support from Jersey Sport’s Performance Sport Programme has been an absolute lifeline for us, and now Ryan has the ability to compete at more high-level events,” said Karen Le Monnier.
“Strive have been a big help as well, providing strength and conditioning training, and with all this support Ryan can compete to the best of his ability.”
Dressage, as well as other equestrian sports, tend to be overlooked on the Island in large part, with many preferring the more mainstream offerings, like football or cricket.
However, Ryan Le Monnier’s breakthrough performances on the big stages have hopes of putting the sport more in the public eye, with his mother remarking “this just proves the talent is out there”.
Now, the Jerseyman has his sights set on the sport’s peaks, awaiting classification for Virtus, which is the national governing body for intellectual disabilities, allowing those that fall into that bracket to compete at the highest national and international levels across all sports, with Ryan Le Monnier’s end goal being participation in the Global Games.
He’s already been invited to participate in Virtus classes, but unfortunately has had to decline due to horse unavailability.
As Ryan Le Monnier scales up to the sport’s biggest stages, there are plenty of sponsorship opportunities for those who’d wish to join the journey, as his mother says it would be “amazing” for their efforts to reach some of the highest level competitions out there.
If you’re interested in supporting his rise to the top, then please contact k.lemonnier@hotmail.com.
