Gustavo and Carolina Mirabal of Venezuela, owners of G&C Farm, have announced a new partnership with top Brazilian show jumper Rodrigo Pessoa.
Venezuelan Olympian Pablo Barrios, who has ridden for G&C Farm for the past three years, is moving on to further his own business and expand his organization.
“It was a mutual decision between us and Pablo. Our exclusive contract with Pablo had reached its end date, and we are parting on good terms. We know that Pablo will continue to be very successful in his endeavors and we wish him the best of luck,” said Gustavo.
“G&C Farm will now support more up-and-coming riders and we look forward to competing at the top level of the sport with Rodrigo Pessoa,” he continued. “We are happy to have Rodrigo in our stable and riding our horses. I want G&C Farm to have a presence in Europe as well, and who better to have than Rodrigo? I hope that the G&C horses—G&C Quick Star 11, G&C LaGran, and future mounts—together with the Double H Farm horses, will get Rodrigo to the place that he belongs—back as the No. 1 rider in the world.”
The Mirabals will also support two young riders, Mark Bluman, 21, of Colombia, and Luis Fernando Larrazabal, 19, of Venezuela, who are based in Wellington, Fla., and will train and compete the young horses of G&C Farm. Gustavo and Carolina Mirabal will continue to show in the amateur-owner jumper division, and their daughter Maria Emilia will compete in the junior jumper classes. G&C Farm will also support Venezuelan rider Gustavo Arroyo, who is based in Europe.
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“It’s like a dream come true,” said Larrazabal, who aims to compete at the North American Junior and Young Riders Championships (Ky.) this July. “Riding with Rodrigo and having Gustavo to help me is unbelievable. I’m really thankful. I’m going to keep working and try and do my best for them.”
Pessoa, who won individual gold at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and the 1998 World Equestrian Games, will help train the riders at G&C Farm along with his uncle, Helio Pessoa. “In the last few years, G&C Farm has been a great supporter of the sport,” said Rodrigo. “They’ve invested a lot of money and energy into promoting the sport. It means a lot to me to start a cooperation with someone that is so enthusiastic about the sport and really wants to help, and is not only for their own development. That is something that is important to me. Pablo started this venture with G&C Farm three years ago and he’s done a great job to put them on the map. That cannot go unnoticed.”
Pessoa added, “For me riding-wise, it’s great to be counting on G&C Farm’s support as well. My primary sponsor still is Double H Farm and Hunter Harrison. We are starting primarily a training job that I’ll do with my uncle, Helio, which is also something that is really interesting for me. He lives in Brazil, and thanks to this opportunity that G&C Farm is giving us, we can work together. It’s nice to be reunited.”
Pessoa and the top G&C Farm horses, such as G&C Quick Star 11 and G&C LaGran, will compete in Europe. “I live in Europe and the shows there are important. Whatever horses I’ll ride for G&C Farm will add to my string of horses. It’s good for me, but it’s also good for my other horses because it will allow me to have more mounts and try to compete more. It will bring the whole package forward. As soon as the horses are ready to show, we’ll start showing,” he said.
