Portuguese team rider Martim Meneres showed wisdom beyond his years as he made his debut at the Blue Hors FEI World Dressage Championships in Herning.

As the youngest competitor in the field aged 22, Martim and his long-term 13-year-old partner Equador produced a flowing grand prix test, nailing the one- and two-time changes, to score 69.05% and sit in 28th place.

Martim’s father bought the Lusitano stallion as a three-year-old for his son to produce. The pair have built a solid relationship together and worked their way up the ranks, competing at junior, young rider and senior European level. The World Dressage Championships marks their first worlds appearance, and their seventh championship together.

Martim, who has a number of grand prix wins under his belt with Equador, was pleased with his test and said the expressive stallion performed how he expected him to.

“It’s a dream to be at this championships for a professional rider, especially given my age it’s amazing to be here and be in this venue. I don’t really have the words to explain,” said Martim.

“Equador was very good and I’m happy with him. It’s amazing to take a horse from nothing as a three-year-old to a World Championships. We have a unique bond, and he’s a super relaxed horse. He loves to be in the ring and show himself off.”

The Portugese team currently sit on a score of 140.58, with their final rider Maria Caetano to ride Fenix De Tineo later today (7 August). The team medals will be awarded at the end of the day based on the grand prix scores. Three scores will count from each team, with teams of four dropping the lowest score.

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The Lusitano stallion Fenix De Tineo ridden by Maria Caetano was a real head-turner, producing a sparkling test on the first day of grand prix dressage at the Tokyo Olympics (24 July).

The pair are making their Olympic dressage debut as part of the Portuguese team, which is currently lying fifth after day one, and were rewarded with a score of 70.31% to sit fourth in group B.

“He does have a lot of character,” said Maria, adding the 11-year-old (Rubi x Oheide), owned by Yeguada Finca Tineo, LDA, does like to remind everyone he is a stallion.

“He’s been with me since he was a young horse, four years old. So he’s almost like a pet, I know him very very well!

“It was an honour that he’s come here and because I have been qualified with my other horse Coroado, and he got injured, right at the end of 2020. So I had to run with him to qualify.”

Fenix De Tineo’s place at Tokyo has kept the Games in the family, as he shares the same sire with Coroado and is out of a similar mare. Maria considers them “brothers”.

Maria explained how the little stallion rose to the late challenge of qualifying for Tokyo with gusto.

“We started to really take [aiming him for Tokyo] seriously in February,” she said. “We went to Doha Qatar, and he really got in and said, ‘no I’m in the five-star competition now – I will defend my brother, and I will make it!’

“They have really different strong points. Coroado was very clear and good in all the exercises and spectacular in the passage.

“This one [Fenix De Tineo] is really really good in passage and piaffe, but then he has lower points in the canter. But I think with one or two more years of experience, he will get to the Coroado’s level.”

Maria, 34, added the hot and humid conditions were an additional challenge, but she was happy with how the horse went.

“He did a very correct test, we didn’t lose points through mistakes, so we could maintain the average we have been doing in qualifications,” she said.

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Portugal’s dressage team will head to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games under the experience eye of their trainer, Kyra Kurklund (pictured right).

The team will comprise:

• Mafalda Galiza Mendes riding D’Artagnan
• Gonçalo Carvalho on Rubi
• Maria Moura Caetano with Util
• Daniel Pinto and Galopin de la Font

The reserve combination is Nuno Palma e Santos on Sal.

Three of the four team riders are mounted on Lusitano stallions, while Mafala Galiza Mendes rides a Westfalian gelding.

• Read the latest World Equestrian Games news

Ireland’s Stephen Smith pulled off his first ever CIC*** win at Barroca in Portugal riding Quality VH, reports Rachel Wakefield.

New Zealander Joe Meyer and Snip finished second, while Vittoria Panizzon was third with her own Rock Model. Swiss rider Tiziana Realini pulled up into fourth place on Gamour CH. Portugal’s Olympic rider Carlos Grave finished fifth with Samaritano to secure the Portuguese national title.

The CCI** was won by Dutch rider Florinoor Hoogland on Top Gun, with fellow countryman Huub van der Mark runner-up on Exquis Idem Du Roc. Vittoria Panizzon again finished third, this time with Keeper Of The Castle II. Tamsyn Hutchins was the best of the Brits in this section, pulling up nine places after dressage to finish fourth on her own Drama Queen III.

The CCI* saw huge local entries from Portugal and Spain with 85 competitors. Belgium’s Vincent Martens was the eventual winner, but British riders occupied three of the top seven places. Kathryn Robinson, 21, had her best result to date, finishing second on her dressage score of 48.9 on her own Hugo Simon. Lucy Wiegersma and 2006 Pavo BE Breeding Championships six-year-old winner Granntevka Prince finished sixth and Clementine Shipp finished in seventh place with Park Keeper II.

Read this report in full, with photos and further comment, in this Thursday’s Horse & Hound (15 March, ’07)

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