GAT Brazil 2025 - CSI4*-W Longines São Paulo

Olá from São Paulo! I’m finally here – in Brazil – with the Global Amateur Tour Brazil 2025, and the excitement couldn’t be greater. It feels amazing to be part of this international project that gives riders from all over the world the chance to compete at a top level. The highlight of this stage is the CSI4*-W Longines São Paulo – South America’s largest international indoor show jumping competition.

GAT Brazil 2025 - CSI4*-W Longines São Paulo

São Paulo – Pure Energy

São Paulo is a city that never stands still – loud, vibrant, and full of life. The atmosphere here is truly one of a kind: our international team, two outstanding Chef d’Équipes from New Zealand (Lucy Olphert) and Australia (Stephen Dingwall), our Brazilian host (Alexander and Nico Dattelkremer), and an organization that perfectly combines professionalism and passion. Every day feels like a new adventure – whether I’m in the stables, training, or simply watching other riders from around the world.

Speed-Dating – The Search for the Right Horse

Since we don’t bring our own horses for this tour, everything at the beginning revolves around finding the right one. I’ve spent my first few days here visiting spectacular equestrian centres, country clubs, and even stables on the edge of the jungle – getting to know, riding, and testing different horses to find out which partner I’d like to enter the ring with.

It’s fascinating how quickly you can build trust and connection during these so-called speed-dates with the horses.

In the end, I tested a total of seven horses, including a former racehorse and even a stallion. Originally, three days of testing and five horses were planned – and in fact, horse number three already seemed to be my perfect match. We clicked instantly. The horse was fast, agile, attentive – and every jump felt smooth and comfortable. I was sure: This is my show horse.

My perfect match

But sometimes, things don’t go as planned. Shortly after the announcement that horse number three would officially be my competition horse, it injured itself and was suddenly no longer available. It was quite a shock because I had been so excited to compete with this horse. But that wasn’t the only twist: my “backup horse” was sold immediately after my trial ride.

So, the search continued – spontaneous, intense, and emotional. The next option took us two hours outside São Paulo: a young, seven-year-old horse, confident at 1.10 m, but still gaining experience at 1.20 m, the height I’ll be competing at. The trial went well, the round was clear and the words of my Chef d'Équipe Stephen Dingwall contained a great compliment (listen to the video). But ultimately, the horse was just too inexperienced for a major event like the CSI4*-W Longines São Paulo.

After all the ups and downs, I decided to put my trust in Lucy and Stephen – and together we chose a horse that had already competed successfully here in São Paulo last year with another GAT rider. It knows the arena, the environment, and the unique energy of this show. However, this decision also means that I’ll be entering a national competition without any prior training on this horse before the CSI4*-W Longines São Paulo begins.

So – stay tuned! In my next blog post, I’ll share how things went with my new partner and how we tackled the big stage at the CSI4*-W Longines São Paulo.