May 19, 2026
Sierra Martin has qualified as a junior rider for the North American Youth Championships, the first from the Cayman Islands, achieved with support from equestrians in three nations–Mexico, USA and her homeland.
The journey began at the Mexico City’s Lerma international event last November organized by Omar Zayrik. The married couple of Devon Kane and Kevin Kohmann of Diamante Farms in Wellington, Florida competed there, one of shows that produced scores to help earn Kevin a third straight World Cup Final start on Diamante Farms’ Dünensee.
They also struck up a friendship with Sierra, who was riding a Lusitano gelding borrowed from Mexico’s Miguel Linates Feregrino in the children’s CDI division.
A month ago, Omar Zayrik, organizer of the competition and an international judge, called Devon asking if a horse could be borrowed in Florida that would enable Sierra, now 16, to compete at WEC Ocala.
The Cayman federation believed in Sierra and if she could lease a horse to compete in Florida they would support her going to the North American Youth Championships in Traverse City, Michigan at the end of July.
“So I offered one of the my Grand Prix horses,’ said Devon, It was the 15-year-old Dutch-bred mare Giulietta that both she and Kevin had competed.
Sierra arrived at Diamante before the qualifier and tried the mare. The partnership clicked.
“She came the week before, tried the mayor and then I said, ‘you know what we have a qualifier show this weekend. Let’s see if it works’,” Devon recalled.
She stayed at Diamante then went to Ocala with Devon and Kevin where she obtained her qualifying scores, winning both the junior team, individual and freestyle competitions.
Sierra received a call from the Cayman federation that she is accepted to go to the North American Youth Championships.
Devon is training her while she’s in the U.S. but she has another trainer at home.
The effort, said Devon is “all working perfectly.”
