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ABPSL Organizes a Feast for the Eyes at the 25th International Lusitano Festival

June 3. 2007: Sao Paulo, Brazil - There is no shortage of extremely well organized horse shows in Brazil. During the last week in May, the Associação Brazileira de Criadores do Cavalo Puro Sangue Lusitano (ABPSL – Brazilian Association for Pure-Bred Lusitano Horses) very capably staged the XXVI Exposiçao Internacional do Cavalo Puro Sangue Lusitano (26th International Lusitano Horse Festival), an event with over 300 Lusitanos demonstrating their paces in-hand for the various young age-group titles, in the dressage ring (from elementary to Intermedaire II), as well in show jumping, working equitation, a driving concours d’elegance and a stallion approval. If one had to find a word to describe this colorful spectacle, especially given the Brazilian preoccupation for fine dining, it would have to be a Lusitano “feast” for the eyes.

Thanks to their Portuguese ancestry, nowhere in the world eclipses Brazil in terms of Lusitano breeding, whether it’s stallions and broodmares for breeding, dressage horses that exemplify all the qualities of this Baroque breed, or pleasure horses of any gender that demonstrate the calm disposition coveted by riders of every age and ability. From May 23-27, the best horses gathered together for the XXVI International Lusitano Expo held annually in Sao Paulo.

It was unfortunate that the weather during the first two days was especially unseasonal, even for winter in the southern hemisphere, with heavy rain and extremely cool temperatures. As always, however, the warmth of the crowd overcame the climatic conditions, assisted with copious quantities of a local brew called caipirinha that is capable of warming your toes ... from the inside!

Stallion Approval

Five stallions, who had already been DNA and semen tested, were presented for approval to three Brazilian judges: Davi Carrano, Neimar Roncati and Orpheu de Souza Avila Jr. All five were first presented under saddle in the main arena, then in hand by their riders. Scoring 72.5 points, the 2002-born Xeique do Bosque, ridden by Brazilian-based Japanese dressage rider Samira Vemura, came out on top thanks to his phenomenal walk. The compact bay, bred and owned by Jose Carlos Macedo Dos Santos, is by Estupendo II out of Mirage AD (Golega WR).

In equal second place with 69.5 points were two 2002 maternal grandsons of Laredo do Top (by Babel): Xanballum Comando XN (Nicola) and Xara LS (Famoso III). Bred and owned by Simone Nowak, the leggy bay Xanballum was presented by Elson Sabatina, and although he lacked some muscle in his hindquarters he showed easy-going paces. Another Lusitano with a flowing walk, stretching nicely through the neck and showing a lot of potential, Xara was bred and is owned by former ABPSL president Luiz Francisco de Assis Salgado and was presented by Jairo Geronimo.

In fourth and fifth places respectively were the seven-year-old Uno Va (Larapio) with 68.0 points and Xairel do Bosque (Luar), a great-grandson of John Whitaker’s legendary show jumper Novilheiro, with 67.5.

Dressage

Gratifyingly, dressage entries saw an increase of nearly 30% over last year, representative of this discipline’s growing popularity in Brazil. The ‘open’ elementary and medium categories for horses of all ages were the most competitive in terms of numbers, although the Intermedaire I and II, held under evening floodlights in the main arena, naturally attracted the largest crowd. The judges for these classes were Sabine Bilton, Claudia Moreira de Mesquita and Rosalind Macedo.

Compared to Europe, Brazilian dressage riders lack competition experience and have few opportunities to demonstrate their abilities, so several were admittedly nervous in front of the knowledgeable audience. The atmosphere may also have contributed to the tension exhibited by several horses that were unable to perform at their best.

The winning performance in the Inter I group came from Raphale da Silva Leme riding the 11-year-old Projeto HI (Ocioso do Top). Although the lack of flexion in the back and neck registered in the half passes, and the stallion occasionally anticipated the transitions, the 64.833% was well deserved and the top position was unanimously awarded by all three judges.

It was a pity that the Inter II class was missing two of Brazil’s top dressage stallions: Quartzo (Jaguar) and the stunning Oceano do Top (Afiançado de Flandes). The latter, born in 1994, changed hands for R$166,500 (US$85,123) at the 10th International Lusitano Auction hosted by Vitor Oliva at his Ilha Verde stud farm the previous weekend, while Quartzo, it was rumored, had also been sold but by private treaty. This test, nonetheless, showed the potential of Lusitano stallions.

The first to go in this class was also the eventual winner, Nilo V.O. (Visir), ridden by Rogério Silva Clementino. Born in 1994, the grey was light on the forehand, producing some good extended trot sequences which would have been improved with more engagement of the hindquarters. Lusitanos are naturally blessed with the ability to reproduce wonderful pirouettes and Nilo was no exception, so the pair finished nearly five percent ahead of their nearest rivals with 66.250%.

Second place went to Utopia Imperial (Dragão II), a beautifully dappled dark gray six-year-old who is being trained by his rider André Ganc. There were some nervous transitions and the young stallion showed his lack of experience with tension and minor errors throughout – for which the rider willingly blamed himself. His very well balanced and rhythmic trot earned good marks, however, and the pair finished with 61.583%.

Overall, as the enthusiasm for dressage continues to grow among Brazilian Lusitano breeders and riders benefit from continuing training and experience, the quality of tests will improve exponentially and it will be interesting to watch the progress of the young horses in the coming years.

Championships

Separated by age and gender for the early rounds, two horses from each of the in-hand (morphology) classes (one, two, three and four year olds, plus older stallions and mares) qualified for the hotly contested championship final.

Under the watchful eye of judges João Pedro Rodrigues, João Filpe Figueiredo and Rui Rosado from Portugal, plus Yves Manzanares from France, it was Xereta do Retiro (Nobel do Retiro), owned and bred by Haras Villa do Retiro who became adult champion mare and supreme champion, while Novilheiro grand-daughter Aphrodite Da Raposa claimed the young mare's crown with Babilonia dos Pinhais as runner-up. The same judges voted Velasquez Do Retiro, bred by Eduardo Fischer, supreme male champion, with Beethoven Comando SN finishing as vice champion.

(High res copies of this photo are available by contacting jean@jeanllewellyn.com)

Nilo

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