Isabelle in action with one of horses.
KOTA KINABALU: At the young age of 13, Isabelle Lonjuing Sayeed a native Sabahan, has once again done Sabah and Malaysia proud by becoming South East Asia’s youngest polo captian, and Sabah’s youngest ever polo player.
Based in Penampang Sabah, Isabelle founded the first Sabah female polo team , El Veinto and has trained the team players much elder to her, in horseriding and then taught them to play the game of polo, making them conversant with the rules and regulations of the game.
She is now training another player Owen Wan David from his basic horse riding to now doing the stick and ball in a record time of one week.
She is a kind but tough teacher, known as ‘Cikgu Kecil’ to the locals.
Isabelle, after just six months of becoming the worlds youngest race horse trainer, has achieved another milestone in her young career and done Sabah and Malaysia proud .
Isabelle on the race track
Isabelle is a full fledged polo horse schooler, sets rider, and polo trainer. She is proficient in sponsoring and organizing polo tournaments, managing internal Chukkas and preparing Chukka lists for polo games.
Under the tutelage of her two equestrian teachers Susan Douglas and Claire Mosuin who began it all in her horse riding career at her tender age of 5 years old.
Untill this date, Isabelle has achieved a lot in theory and practice, of training , management, upkeep of race horses and horses in general.
Isabelle, other than her secondary education at Sayfol International School, spends the rest of her time with ten of her own horses.
Seven of them racing and three polo horses, training , schooling and racing them, seven days a week.
Under the coaching of Tokoh Sukan David Wang also her mentor, and Field Assistant Adri Jari, Isabelle constantly improves her skills each day, and is passing her expertise to upcoming polo players.
Peter Abisheganaden of the KL Polo Academy has also played a big role in grooming Isabelle in her polo, and remains her distant equestrian adviser based in Kuala Lumpur.
Isabelle’s father Adil Sayeed, a high goal polo player himself, has also been her guide in her foray of polo.
Isabelle is an avid self learner of all about horses has more knowlegde of horses than many senior people in this field and is already internationaly known as a prodigy in horses.
She will be in the united states for advanced race horse traing in July and August this year and will be in Argentina for one year in 2023 – 24 for advanced polo training.
Isabelle, a pride for Sabahan and Malaysian
Upon her return she will be operating her own international standard polo and equestrian club in Papar Sabah Borneo.
Aprt from her passion for horses, Isabelle is also an avid chef, conservationist and nature photograper. She is also an exponent in the martial art of Sorinji Kempo being trained by Grandmaster David Wang.
This young Sabahan lass lives a simple life working hard in training and caring of horses and teaching horse riding and polo, seven days a week.
She also advices those who seek of her in the upkeep of horses.
As it is said by those who know her, Isabelle was made for the horses and the horses were made for Isabelle.
