Interagro Lusitanos Gears Up for Thrilling 2014

Interagro Lusitanos Gears Up for Thrilling 2014

Itapira, Brazil (February 19, 2014) – Interagro Lusitanos, the world’s largest breeder and exporter of Lusitanos, proudly anticipates an exciting year. From like-minded trainers bringing horses up the levels to upcoming competitions in Working Equitation, driving, and dressage, 2014 is looking to be an exciting and busy year for the horses, riders, and trainers at Interagro.

Beginning February 8th, seven of Interagro’s horses will kick off the year’s competition schedule at the 1st Phase of the Brazilian Working Equitation Championships organized by Cia de ET (WE Co.). Johnny Miranda will be riding Baliel Interagro in the Intermediária and Empreiteiro Interagro in the Cavalos Novos A. Luan Brito will be riding Divisadeiro Interagro in the Aspirantes and Xaveco Interagro in the Forte. Alexandre Sousa will be riding Ditador Interagro in the Aspirantes and Estival Interagro in the Cavalos Novos A.

Nuno Araújo, a Portuguese trainer who has lived in Brazil for decades and worked with Interagro horses, is coming every two weeks to train the team. He will also be riding Furacão Interagro in the Cavalos Novos A. The dressage phase of Working Equitation is where Interagro horses have shone. Last time, Zingaro Interagro’s standout performance in this phase earned him a 70% and first place.

Martina Irene Brandes is the head trainer of Interagro’s dressage horses, and has a long, distinguished career in the show ring. She participated in the 2003 Pan-American Games of Santo Domingo – Dominican Republic, and was the 2006 São Paulo Dressage Champion/ ABPSL (Brazilian Pure Bred Lusitanos Association) – Young horses(5 Years) with Vilão Hl, owned by Mrs. Viviann Mattos. Brandes, along with Pia Aragao, an international rider, trainer and competitor with a farm in nearby Holambra, now focus on developing each of Interagro’s horses in the classical training methods. Under their guidance all of Interagro’s young horses begin their training under saddle with an emphasis of correctness of the gaits and freedom through the shoulder.

Interagro is thrilled to be able to hire trainers that think alike and work as a true team. “It’s like a dream come true to have such synchronicity in the horses’ training,” said Cecilia Gonzaga, Managing Director of Interagro. “Everyone works together and helps each other and building on this base Interagro will start a new era of training and competition. Our dressage training system focuses on smooth, even gaits, nice free shoulders, and allowing each horse to develop at its own pace.”

Interagro’s Lusitanos also excel at driving. Driving is the Gonzaga family passion and requires exact and professional training. Interagro has high hopes for the March Lusitano Show in Avaré, and the tutelage of their new trainer, Rui Quintino de Oliveira of Portugal. He will remain in Brazil until mid-April and visit the farm every Monday to give clinics to the team and horses, including Martina Brandes and her Bomilcar, who is doubly talented at driving as well as dressage.

Rui worked for Alter Real for many years, then for Mr. Mello and Madalena Abecassis driving in Portugal. He is the trainer of Haras Larissa (Mr. Alvaro Coelho da Fonseca & Carol Borja), who also own Interagro’s pair of driving horses Viajor Interagro and Semaneiro Interagro, who were driven by Prince Harry during his state visit to Brazil in 2012.

Interagro’s goals always include having well trained horses suitable for both professionals and amateurs. Their group of talented horses currently competing at many levels in both dressage and driving shows prove the trainability and versatility of the breed.

Founded in 1975 by Dr. Paulo Gavião Gonzaga to preserve the Lusitano breed, Interagro Lusitanos is the world’s largest breeder and exporter of Lusitano horses. Dr. Gonzaga started with a small band of four mares and one stallion imported to Brazil from the breed’s native Portugal, and since that first generation has produced more than 2,185 Lusitanos. Today, 450 horses populate Interagro’s 1200-acre, six-barn showplace ranch (which has appeared on the covers of 21 international magazines). In 2009, Interagro was recognized as ABPSL ‘Lusitano Breeder of the Year.’