For a moment it seemed that French-Brazilian Marietta Almasy had reached the end of her show career, but at the CDI-W Paris/Bercy early March the native French dame was completey back in business.
After a terrible period of personal struggle with her husband, the Brazilian Dr. Rocha, resulting in the cancellation of the World Cup Finals in Sao Paulo, Brazil, a divorce and her selling most of her horses, it couldn't get any worse.
"For two weeks now I have been renting an apartment at Paris and am boarding Pavarotti at the Polo de Bagatelle stables," Almasy says. With little time to get organised, Almasy already rode at the CDI-W in Paris, a competition where she dazzled as best French combination. Pavarotti was so easy and cool minded with all the commotion round him in the arena of Paris. Pavarotti, an 11-year-old Russian gelding, was purchased by Almasy upon her return to France. "It cost me a limb but I'm so happy to have bought him. The combination is selected for the World Cup Finals in Aarhus, Denmark. Having reached her qualifying score (65%) for the European Championships, Almasy is also alleged to ride in Verden. "I'm not selected yet, I just qualified," Almasy added.
Image by Mary Phelps/ Phelps Photos