Team Thailand and Megan Min Ern Ding Win Gold at 2025 South East Asian Games

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2025 South East Asian Games

Team Thailand and Malaysia's Min Ern Ding Win became the gold medal winners at the 2025 South East Asian Games in Pattaya, Thailand, on 13 - 16 December 2025.

SEA Games

Two weeks after welcoming athletes from across Asia for the 2025 FEI Asian Championships, the Thai Polo Club in Pattaya welcomed a smaller group of nations for the South East Asian Games, ridden one level lower (Junior/Young Rider) than at the Asian Championshps (PSG / Intermediaire I).

The 33rd Southeast Asian Games are a multi-sport event taking place on 9 to 20 December 2025 across Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Chonburi, and Songkhla. They are held every two years, except during the corona years when the event was spread out over Vietnam and Cambodia and held in 2022 and 2023.

The ground jury at the 2025 SEA Games included Mary Seefried (AUS) as President, Ricky Macmillan (AUS), Maja Stukelj (SLO), Vittorio M. Barba (PHI), Bernard Maurel (FRA), and Linda Warren Davey (NZL)

Riders from five countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) and three teams had declared to compete at the 2025 SEA Games. A total of just 13 athletes participated.

Team Gold for Thailand

The host nation Thailand made it a double. After winning team gold at the FEI Asian Championships, they also struck gold on home turf at the SEA Games. Thailand scored a team total of 207.353 points for the highest step on the podium, barely edging out Indonesia (207.206) for silver. The bronze was for Malaysia with 195.235 points.

The Thai team with German Matthias Rath as its team trainer saw Pawarisa Thongpradup lead the way, winning the team competition test (junior individual test) with 69.530%. The 24-year old Thongpradup rode the 12-year old KWPN gelding Indigo (by Bordeaux x Dayano) to first place. Pawarisa began her international show career as a young rider in 2017 at the CDI Taipei in Taiwan on Walt Disney (by Painted Black x Aristo) and has competed Blacky-S (unpapered) Coffeebay (by Christ x Donauruf), and Generaal (by Charmeur x Jazz) up to small tour level over the years. Indigo joined her ranks in 2023.

Individual podium: Thongpradup, Win, Puttisombat

Thailand's team total came with the help of Nynn Puttisombat aboard the 12-year old Belgian bred Oldenburg Rock That Tango vh Aegroschot (by Blue Hors Rockefeller x Tango) with 69.235% for fifth place; and Arinadtha Chavatanont on the 18-year old KWPN bred Clapton C (by Jazz x San Remo) with 68.588%.

Thailand’s fourth team rider was Chalermcharn Yotviriyapanit. He ride the drop score on Sant Jordi with a 68.559%.

After 30 years Thailand’s Dressage Team secured gold again. The 2025 SEA Games marks the seventh time Thailand has hosted the event, with Bangkok having previously hosted 4 times (1959, 1967, 1975, and 1985).

Individual Gold for Min Ern Ding Win

The individual medal battle was decided over two rounds: the Prix St Georges as a qualifier for the individual final, which was the Young Riders Kur to Music level test. The kur score counted for the podium places.

Malaysia's Min Ern Ding Win, a total newcomer to the international FEI competition scene, became the individual gold medal winner at the 2025 SEA Games. After placing second in the team test (69.500%), she won the individual qualifier PSG with 72.000% and aced the kur to music with 76.525%, far ahead of the competition. Her partner in crime was the Dutch Grand Prix horse, the 14-year old KWPN bred Gaudi Vita (by Apache x Welt Hit II), previously owned and competed by Joyce Heuitink. In 2022 the horse sold to Singaporeans Hock Chai Ding and Giselle Lau, but remained in The Netherlands. The dark bay now made his trip to Asia for Win to ride. She was coached by Danish Dennis Fisker and Malaysian Qabil Ambak at this event.

The individual silver was for Thongpradup who piloted Indigo to a 71.135% Kur score. The bronze was for Nynn Puttisombat and Rock That Tango vh Aegroschot with 70.410%.