It was the shiny brown stud who played around the large championship fields that made the young Brazilian an unbeatable star. Baloubet Du Rouet was the stallion that made Rodrigo Pessoa an Olympic-goal and triple World championship winner.
Text and photos Andrea Berlin / Lavaletto
-I was always the youngest one in the bigger picture, but I have learned so much from those who were older than me. Hanging around the older riders’ forces you to grow up quickly. It was a unique situation, and it enhanced my character greatly, Rodrigo remembers back to when he, only 19-years-old, made himself a global name with his dad Nelson as his nearest coach.
Today, 24 years later he has turned a new chapter in his life. Now he has approximately 10 hand-plucked horses in his stables at the beautiful remote farm right outside Brussels in Belgium. Previously, there had been more than 40 horses in competition and a humongous pressure from horse owners from all over the world. These days, the rest of the place is rented out to other competing riders. The focus is just as serious, just on a smaller scale, and higher quality. Rodrigo, in other words, has come to a point in his life where he just wants to enjoy the best aspects of the horse industry.
-Now I just want to put my heart and soul into horses of the highest quality and take are of them myself to reduce the pressure. I also want to travel and spend 6 months a year on a yard in Florida. So I have to pack and move It all, he explains.
-The key to success is to not let failures break you.
Rodrigo has had a long connection to America, where he both worked and competed with top horses for the American Double H farm. After seven years of partnership with them, he was so comfortable with the warmth and the wide variety of competitions that he today has decided that that should be the base for his horses. Rodrigo’s demands have only increased. Having his breakthrough at such an early ages means that he has gotten very picky with the competitions he wishes to enter. This year’s Olympics in Rio had for a long time been the dream until the decision came that his results weren’t enough to get him to the top.
-Competing in the Olympic games in my home country is something I dreamt about for the last seven years. It was one of my highest goals. That I didn’t get the chance to participate is incredibly hard…you have no idea, Rodrigo exclaims on the verge of tears.
Most of the time he looks out the window, and he has poured several cups of Evian mineral water. The day we came to visit just happened to be the day that the final decision has been made. It is, therefore, obvious that the mood on the yard isn’t the greatest. Days like these, in other words, can make any top athlete doubt their passion for the sport. With a lot of emotions involved in the championship, we are careful to swiftly change the subject when one of Rodrigo’s young daughters comes running. Today, his family is Rodrigo’s top priority. In addition to this, his own dad, Nelson Pessoa, is still close as he lives only a couple of kilometers away.
-In my childhood, my dad was always a bit in the background and he never pushed me. It wasn’t until I took the decision to invest that he went from being a dad to the business partner. When I grew up he became more and more involved in coaching. I early on made it clear that it was riding that was my number one priority, although coaching was his biggest strength and passion.
It was Nelsons training facility in Belgium that made the family leave Brazil before Rodrigo was born.
-I was born in Paris and have actually never lived in Brazil, but I’m 100% Brazilian and I like to represent my country. It feels right because it’s in my blood, Rodrigo says grinning.
-Dad was the first to move to Europa to establish himself amongst Spanish top riders. After that, more and more people have dared to make the move. Riding provides a small taste of a different culture. Our stable has throughout the years been a link that has helped many riders start out and then move on.
-Many people test-ride a horse twice before they make a decision. This essentially only means that you are looking for flaws the second time you get in the saddle.
Today, Rodrigo makes his living from teaching students. Passing on his knowledge has always been a passion of his, but it isn’t until now that it has become prominent in his life as the competition life has become less stressful.
-For a long time both my dad and I were very active within the sport at the same time. I started as a senior rider already when I was 16, and Nelson didn’t stop competing until I was 26 years old. A lot of his co-operations also allowed me to ride good horses and enabled my talent. However, I have learned that being talented isn’t enough, it takes extreme focus and hard work, even for me, Rodrigo states.
-I was born in Paris and have actually never lived in Brazil, but I’m 100% Brazilian and I like to represent my country. It feels right because it’s in my blood.
It was Nelson’s work with Portuguese horse owners that has given Rodrigo his strongest and most significant memory. In 1995 two horses came to the yard to be shown for sale, both with the same breeding, a mare, and a stallion.
-They arrived with the two horses in the same trailer, absolutely insane. The stallion was Baloubet du Rouet and had previously competed in the 5-year-old championship for young horses with a young rider. Dad tried him over a jump first and could immediately tell that this horse was a superstar. I had to restrain myself to ride the mare, whilst dad was competing with the stallion successfully. He wouldn’t let Baloubet go until he had a heart-attack and was told to relax. That’s when I finally got the chance to ride the stallion, says Rodrigo, his voice crooked with emotion.
But jumping Baloubet du Rouet at home, was something he never did. He rather focused his energy on finding a balanced level, which focused the stallion and challenged him at the same time. The difficulty was attempting to handle his excessive energy and cocky personality.
– I have never had just one training method for him. We focused a lot on giving him the right feed to get him focused when in training. Often we would experiment what worked best in different periods of the year. Even though he was easy to handle, he did not like other horses and I had to keep him by himself in the field. I have ridden many of his offspring, yet I have never experienced his extreme qualities. He was simply unique.
The owners always wanted to spare the horse and not let breeding take over too much during the competition season. A wise decision which means that he today lives a healthy pensioner life in France and is ridden daily by a young girl, still using the same bridle he wore during his Olympic days.
– I have ridden many of his offspring, yet I have never experienced his extreme qualities. He was simply unique.
Rodrigo about Baloubet du Rouet
When Rodrigo speaks of his horses it’s easy to see that health and well-being are something at the top of his priorities. This is something he wished to further engage in after the infamous drug-scandal during the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, when he lost his 5th place, when his horse Rufus tested positive.
-It was after that incident I started getting engaged with the FEI, and starting being extra attentive to the health of horses and the rights of the riders in order to improve the sport. In order to be able to produce horses for top riders, it is necessary to focus on how they’re feeling. You can’t do the same with all the horses if you want to reach your goals, he explains.
The horses here are let out into the field every day and they’re also put in the walker so that they have a change of scenery every day. Large fields surround the yard giving it a park-like feel, yet still very private. Whilst Rodrigo enjoys having his own space, he talks a lot about the significance of sharing your knowledge with other riders. With a large web of contacts, new horses are sometimes only a phone call away.
-We always have a lot of people at competitions and at home that comes to us to offer us horses. But exactly what we look for in a horse is hard to say. I always have to go for a ride in order to tell whether or not it’s something for me. But I don’t like very big and slow horses. Rodrigo follows his gut instinct when he sees a potential horse. However, this does not mean that he only has to test-ride it once. But truthfully, a quick gallop and a jump or two is enough to tell.
-Many people test-ride a horse twice before they make a decision. This essentially only means that you are looking for flaws the second time you get in the saddle. This usually results in many riders never daring to purchase a horse. Sometimes you can miss something obvious, but it’s not until you have had the horse for a while that you will know if it was a successful purchase. How the horse will behave at home you can never be sure.
One of his biggest hopes for the future is the gelding Jordan II, bought according to his breeding and making great progress under Swedish rider Angelie Von Essen.
-He’s the kind of horse that will not be the same at competitions as he is at home. I sensed that he was a little nervous when I tried him, but I would’ve never imagined that he would get this nervous during competitions. But he’s a very powerful horse so it’s important that he gets the right kind off support and help from me during riding. This is something I didn’t notice in the beginning but I have learned since then, Rodrigo explains.
Despite the perfect match, the gelding has been hit by a series of misfortunes during the summer. Right now he is just getting back into training after an injury. Currently, he can only be trotted on a straight line but the hope is that he will be back on track soon and ready to join the Grand Prix and eventually the World Cup.
-Right now I’m betting on him and two other horses to take me to the highest level. Now we have to set new goals to regain motivation. You either have to be 100% in it or not at all, he says firmly. But to leave the competition scene for good is something Rodrigo would never dream of. He has tested out several official jobs within the sport, but this is no longer in the cards for his daily agenda.
-I helped arrange massive competitions such as Gucci Masters, which was a lot of fun. It also gave me a lot of useful experience, however, it took too much of my time and focus away from competing. But the day I choose to no longer compete I will most certainly enter such a role again.
Right now, he wants to inspire his younger daughter to ride. Completely consumer by horses the little girl stands in her little black Shetland ponies stall and brushes him eagerly. Whilst daddy rides and poses for the camera, his oldest daughter (from an earlier marriage) is busy taking photos.
-For something to be successful it has to come naturally. The same is true for my daughters when it comes to their interest in horses. One loves horses, but the other has no interest at all. I don’t want to try to influence them at all, Rodrigo says as he watches the kids.
Even the young girls can tell that daddy is depressed and sad when he has to talk about the future. When Rodrigo has gotten Jordan II ready, the youngest daughter comes running towards the fence with a piece of candy in her hands. Not to the horse but to her dad. In other words, it is clear that in this family they value taking care of each other.
– In this sport, money actually can’t buy you success, although it is a great tool for a helping hand on the way to success. But there’s so much more to it. There are a lot of riders who have a lot of resources, yet never get there. It has everything to do with you and not your investments, Rodrigo tells me as we walk back to the stable.
Rodrigo takes off his riding boot and makes sure the brown gelding will be taken great care of after the ride. The family is going to the airport. Every moment spent out of the saddle he uses to strengthen himself. Right now he has a new passion which takes him outside of his comfort zone, namely racing sports cars.
-I started to years ago for fun, and in a lot of ways, it is very similar to horse riding. Yet, I am no pro, but I drive around happily with those who have a little experience.
As if he didn’t have enough with riding and racing, he also makes time for golf. And in a minor detail, that’s merely mentioned, his third home is in Monaco. So he definitely enjoys more than just hours in the saddle. In addition, a new addition to the family is expected in December, as his wife Alexia is pregnant. His new life is both eventful and hectic, but with less pressure. Now it remains to be seen if the Brazilian has the mental strength and focus in the long run, to get back into the spotlight where his career started so brightly.
-The key to success is to not let failures break you, Rodrigo says with a spark in his eye.
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