The adventure sports show us various ways to enjoy life, both in free time and even as a way of life, since Many athletes make a living doing what they like most. This is the case of Rodrigo Pessoa, fortunate to be able to dedicate himself to riding, his great passion.

Rodrigo Pessoa is the most talented rider today. His track record is impressive, so the best is always expected from him.

One of the best riders


Rodrigo is a world idol and in his country, Brazil, comparable to Pelé, without forgetting his father the great Nelson Pessoa, a living page of world equestrianism: simply a genius.

Biography

He was born in Paris on November 29, 1972. He is the son of Nelson and Regina, from whom he learned his love for animals. He lives between France and Belgium, although he has recently settled in the latter country.

Rodrigo's beginnings were with ponies and even then he began to show a special talent for horse riding. He made his debut in this category in Hickstead in 1981. In 1984, in this category, he obtained his first title: Belgian champion. He repeated this same title in 1985.

In 1988 he won the Youth GP of Milan and Reims in France and in 1989 he placed 1st in the European Youth Championship, a title he did not obtain because he was of Brazilian nationality.

Champion if there ever was one


A star appears

  • In 1990 he competed in the Nice and Donaueschingen GPs. This same year at the world championship in Stockholm he wins the "opening class", already indicating who he is going to be in equestrian. Everyone is starting to talk about the new star.
  • In 1991 he won the GP of Zuidlaren and Paderborn.
  • In 1992 he competed, at just 19 years old, in the Barcelona Olympics where he was classified 9th individually.
  • In 1993 he won the Wiesbaden, Paris and Aachen GPs and also the Eindhoven Derby.
  • In 1994 he won the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Argentina, a year he also won in Aachen and Aarhus.
  • In 1996, forming a team among others with his father, he won the bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympics.
  • In 1997 he won the Manheim, Geesteren and Aachen GPs.

Comes from a generation of riders

  • In 1998 with Baloubet he won the World Cup in Helsinki. This same year he won in Rome, with Lianos, the championship of the World. Nobody had achieved it.
  • In 1999 he won the World Cup again and also won the Paris-Bercy, Berlin and Amsterdam GPs and the La Baule Derby. This same year he ends up as leader in the FEI world ranking.
  • In 2000 he won the World Cup again in Las Vegas; He wins the team bronze at the Sydney Olympics where he goes to the last test as individual leader, and clear favorite, but his stallion Baloubet stops in the triple and the victory falls to Jeroen Dubbeldam.
  • In the last World Cup (April 2001) he finished in 2nd position. But earlier this year, among other classifications, he was 2nd in the "Mercedes Swiss Master" and in the "Móvenpick Classic" in Zurich and 9th in the CCF Grand Prix of Bordeaux.
Rodrigo's CV is very extensive and we only wanted to reflect what we found most significant.
  • But talking about Rodrigo must imply talking about his father, Nelson Pessoa.
  • Nelson Pessoa is for many the best rider of our time. Well, from a very long period since he already began to succeed in high competition in the fifties and has just retired recently, possibly tired after so many years and above all seeing that his seed has borne fruit in such a brilliant way.
  • Nelson recently underwent surgery on his cervical vertebrae but is now riding again, although he will no longer do so in major competitions.
  • He arrived in Europe in the sixties as a professional rider. Neco must have known very well of his talent to come to a continent he did not know and in which professionalism for contestants was uncommon; horsemanship was fundamentally military. Although he had stood out a lot as a youth in Brazil and had won very important events in Argentina.
  • Alfonso Queipo de Llano commented that when Pessoa began to compete in Europe, although he showed great talent, he was characterized by being very slow. "You're slower than Pessoa," some even said to highlight a not fast route. It certainly quickly changed and became possibly the fastest.
  • In 1956 he was an Olympian in Stockholm.
  • In 1961 he moved to Europe.
  • In 1967 at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg (Canada) with the Brazilian team he won gold and at the individual level the silver.

Nelson Pessoa's résumé does not even fit on the internet but we can highlight that he has won more than 150 International Grand Prix, two team gold medals and one individual in the Pan American Games, 5th individual in the Tokyo Olympics, seven-time (record) winner of the Hamburg Derby, six-time (record) winner of the La Baule Derby, three-time winner of the Hickstead Derby, team bronze medal in the Atlanta Olympics...

As a coach, he has been the coach of many of the best riders in the world and of course a great architect of the successes of his talented son.

Some believe he has more fame than Pelé


In Sydney 2000, he coached the Saudi Arabia team and one of its members won individual silver. You can't think or say more.

Nelson Pessoa has also given many clinics in Spain (he currently trains Pilar Cordón, winner of the last two editions of the High Competition League).

He has been a regular competitor in Spanish international competitions, mainly Madrid and Barcelona. In recent years we have also seen him, like Rodrigo, on the "Sunshine Tour" in Montenmedio.

Unique and relevant riding

But we must say that Nelson Pessoa is a riding savant, almost a revolutionary. From Pessoa's great power of observation, important and innovative concepts in horsemanship have emerged: his seat, his saddles, the way he holds the reins, the way he works and trains the horses, their particular and balanced style..., a magician of horsemanship. Unrepeatable.