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Friday, July 08 2011 / Published in Weekly Feature

The Legendary and Fashionable Rodrigo Pessoa

By Jan Westmark-Allan

Olympian Rodrigo Pessoa may only be 38 years old, but he is already a legend in the world of show jumping.  He has been named the world’s best rider, has multiple Olympic medals to his name and he won the World Cup on Baloubet du Rouet three years in a row.  Rodrigo is well known in the show world not only for his impressive riding ability, but for his close relationship with his father, his flair for speaking multiple languages and his desire to be the best.

Rodrigo is so well known, in fact, that when Horseware Ireland decided to develop a new line of clothing, they looked no further than Rodrigo.  Their new line, the Rodrigo Pessoa collection, will debut in the fall of 2011 and is inspired by Rodrigo’s Brazilian heritage.

Rodrigo was instrumental in developing the clothing line, and as a rider he knew it was important for the clothing to be able to perform at the highest level, while still looking stylish.  Rodrigo is known for having high standards, a trait he easily transferred to his specifications for the clothing line.  He wanted the material and the finishing of the product to be of the highest standards.  The clothing collection will incorporate the primary colors of Rodrigo’s country flag, including dramatic reds, blues, yellows and greens.

Rodrigo and his father, Nelson Pessoa, the man Rodrigo credits for being the most influential person in his life All Photos by Mancini Photos

While Rodrigo is excited to lend his name to the Latin-inspired line, he said his style at home and around the barn is quite simple.  “My wife Alexa likes fashion and understands it very well,” Rodrigo said, adding that he and Alexa were married in 2009.  “I tend to wear the same classic look all the time – jeans, polo shirt and tennis shoes.”

While Rodrigo’s clothing line is inspired by his heritage, it is a heritage that he is quite proud of.  Growing up with a famous riding father, Nelson Pessoa, Rodrigo followed in his father’s footsteps at an early age.  “My father has definitely had the biggest influence on my career,” he said.  Rodrigo’s showing career began when he was nine, competing ponies in England.  At 16, he began his Grand Prix career and hasn’t looked back since.

Now that Rodrigo is also a father, there is a chance the riding legacy could continue.  “My daughter Cecilia is seven years old and Sophia is five months old,” he said.  “But if my children don’t want to ride, they don’t have to.”  Either way, Cecilia and Sophia will certainly be proud of their dad and his many accomplishments.

Rodrigo and Let’s Fly, his current favorite mount

When pressed to pick a few “best” accomplishments of his career, Rodrigo named the World Championship in Rome in 1998 and the World Cup in 2000 as highlights.  “And if I had to pick my favorite horses I would pick Special Envoy and Oasis, because of their generosity,” he said.  “Right now, I would say Let’s Fly is my favorite horse.”

Like most top riders, Rodrigo’s goal is to stay on top for as long as he can. “If I do it, I want to do it well.  Otherwise I will just stop,” Rodrigo said, adding that he hopes to be remembered as someone who did his job well and tried to help make the sport better.  And while he has medals, clothing lines and countless titles to his name, Rodrigo also hopes to be remembered for being a good dad.

“Being a father is the most important and difficult job one has,” he said. Which is why, in his spare time, he likes to be at home with his family.  “I like to stay home as much as I can, to recharge my batteries.”

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What you can read next

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1 Comment to “ The Legendary and Fashionable Rodrigo Pessoa”

  1. Ladies Plus Blog says :
    July 25, 2011 at 4:24 am

    The Rodrigo Pessoa…

    […] tandards.  The clothing collection will incorporate the primary colors of Rodri […]…

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A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself The spor A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself 
The sport of eventing is a demanding and mentally challenging discipline that requires a combination of physical and mental fortitude from both the rider and horse. While having a coach can be incredibly beneficial, self-coaching can also play a crucial role in a rider’s success.

I think that given the opportunity, most riders would like to be coached every day. The reality of life in the horse world, however, is that the majority of us need to absorb as much from the lessons we have on a limited basis and then practice those skills at home to improve.

When I am riding, I try to have a plan for the horses each day and focus on what I’m looking to achieve. It’s important to be aware of the steady improvements rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This is especially important when teaching horses new movements or exercises that they might struggle with, and we need to give them time to learn and understand what we are asking for.

I have a couple of quotes that I use regularly when I’m teaching, and these are mottos that I hold myself to in my daily work as well.

The first is, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” This is a quote that was said to me many years ago when I was still motor racing and I keep it in the back of my mind each day. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same thing every day with your horse and bad habits are hard to break, from both riders and horses!

This leads me to my next quote, which is, “If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.” It really is as simple as that! Many riders I see keep asking a horse to do something the same way over and over with an ongoing negative response and they wonder why things don’t get better. In these circumstances, I recommend that the rider change something, even if it’s wrong.

Read the full article by clicking the link in our bio! Don’t forget to keep your eye out for our April subscription!
📸Photo by Alex Banks Photography
The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

#dressage #equestrian #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #equestrianlife #showjumping #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #instahorse #dressur #horselove #eventing #equestrianstyle #cheval #dressagerider #horselife #horselover #pferde #love #riding #jumping #pferdeliebe #horseofinstagram #horsebackriding #paard #dressurpferd
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