Rodrigo Pessoa - Riding Career

Riding Career

Rodrigo first competed in 1981 at Hickstead. In 1984 he claimed his first title as champion of the pony class and again in 1985. In 1988 he competed in his first Grand Prix.

He continued to his triumphant career by competing and winning many Grands Prix. In 1992 he rode Special Envoy in the Olympic Games in Barcelona for Brazil, making him one of the youngest rider to compete in the Olympics at the age of 19. In 1996 he again rode in the Olympics in Atlanta and helped Brazil win the bronze medal with Loro Piana TomBoy.

In 1998 he rode Gandini Lianos to be the youngest World Champion at 1998 FEI World Equestrian Games in Rome.

Pessoa took his career further by winning the World Cup Final on Baloubet du Rouet three times in a row and finished as the reserve champion the fourth year, a world record. In his fifth and final World Cup, Rodrigo and Baloubet du Rouet finished in third place. He later claimed the title and prize for the world's best rider and in addition to the Show Jumping Year trophy. In 2000 at the Olympic Games in Sydney, he again won the bronze team medal. In the 2004 Olympics in Athens he won the individual silver medal but after disqualification of the Irish rider Cian O'Connor and his horse Waterford Crystal for doping, he was awarded the Gold medal in an award ceremony in his home town of Rio de Janeiro.In 2010 he won the Grand Prix on a horse named HH Ashley.

In 2007, Pessoa won the individual silver and team gold medals at the Pan American Games, held in his home town.

In 2008 Pessoa was suspended, fined, and disqualified from the Beijing Olympic Games where he had finished 5th in the Individual Jumping competition after the horse he was riding, Rufus, tested positive for the banned pain reliever, nonivimide.

He was also chosen to be Brazil's flag bearer at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.