Malaysia’s dressage rider Diani Lee Cheng Ni faced challenges in finding her rhythm during the equestrian competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, largely due to unpredictable weather conditions affecting her final preparations. Riding her horse, Sam 1108, Diani posted a score of 56.677 in the first part of the qualifiers, placing last among 43 competitors.

Coach Mohd Qabil Ambak attributed the slow start to disruptions caused by fluctuating weather, which necessitated frequent adjustments to their training schedule. "The weather keeps changing, so our training times have had to change frequently. That also affects the horse," he said. Qabil explained that periods of rain followed by strong winds had unsettled the horse, noting that horses can become nervous and difficult to manage in such conditions. "Sometimes it rains and then it gets windy. The horse can be fine at times, but can also start to react to the conditions," he added.

Qabil, who secured individual dressage gold at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, expressed hope that Diani and Sam 1108 would settle and perform better as the competition progresses.

Diani is making her return to the Asian Games stage for the first time since the 2010 edition in Guangzhou, where she earned a bronze medal as part of Malaysia’s dressage team.

Only the top 15 riders following the second qualifying round will proceed to the individual final, scheduled for the following day.