The stars of team Brazil at the Agria FEI World Showjumping Championships yesterday (11 August) were Yuri Mansur and a horse who only started jumping at the age of eight, having previously been “in the woods and doing dressage”.
QH Alfons Santo Antonio and Yuri chalked up the only clear for their team on Thursday, a class round that lifted them from 35th place after day one to 14th going into the team final.
The Estonian-bred gelding, who was on the team that finished sixth at the Tokyo Olympics last year, is 15 but, as Yuri explained, was a late starter in showjumping.
“He only started jumping when he was eight; before that he was in the woods a bit, doing a little bit of dressage,” he said. “But he loves what he does now.”
Yuri said that although the course for the second team qualifier was not easier than yesterday’s, it was one that suited the horse, who he owns with Santo Antonio Horses BV and Clear Round BV.
“Today was more his class; yesterday was more stressful because he’s a slow horse and I knew that to play the game well, I had in mind I couldn’t be more than four points behind the leader,” said Yuri, who was and still is on 3.65 penalties. “I was just within the limit! I tried to keep calm today because I know we can go to the end [of the World Showjumping Championships ] and it’s a long way yet, the week is just beginning. But the horse is really good and he’s fighting to be there.”
Yuri added that is feeling on top of his game.
“He’s a funny horse; he really has a strong personality,” he said. “But once he trusts you, he gives everything.”
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