Freire and Sai Baba Rise to the Occasion at the 2017 CDI Achleiten

Shows

2017 CDI Achleiten

Portuguese Boaventura Freire and his number one international ride Sai Baba rose to the occasion at the 2017 CDI Achleiten in Austria on 8 - 11 June 2017, winning the Grand Prix Special tour against 10 competitors. The Hamburg based duo aced the Grand Prix and Special, edging out riders from Germany, USA, Austria, Canada, Great Britain, Poland and Luxembourg.

Eleven riders contested the Grand Prix, though Polis Rishat Sabitov and Victoria Max-Theurer both dropped out. Boaventura Freire and Sai Baba scored a solid 70.980% which sufficed for the victory, edging out German pair Isabelle Steidle on Long Drink by a fraction (70.700%). In the Grand Prix Special, Freire and his chestnut gelding proved consistency and scored 70.412% for the trophy. He placed at the top of the board and ahead of Canadian Jill Irving on the Dutch warmblood Arthur (69.471%).

"We had a great time in Achleiten," Boaventura told Eurodressage. "The show ground was beautiful and in perfect condition. With temperatures around 25 to 30 degrees all weekend long and sun shining, the show was well organized and the schedule on time. I had a very good, safe feeling in the Grand Prix. Sai baba was in a very good shape and enjoyed the test so much as I did. "

Sai Baba is a 10-year old Hanoverian gelding by Sir Donnerhall x De Niro. He is bred by Robert Gaus in Germany and owned by the Portuguese company Dressage Plus since 2012.

Freire and Sai Baba in Achleiten The 29-year old Boaventura has been competing Sai Baba since he was a 5-year old in 2012 and also did the 6-year old classes in 2013. After a three year break from international competition, the combination resurfaced at Grand Prix level in 2016. Their consistent scores round 70% have now made them clear candidates for Portuguese team selection for the 2017 European Championships in Gothenburg.

"We started last year during the winter to compete at international competitions. Our first competition was the CDI 4* in Frankfurt and there my horse showed me that I can trust and count on him 100% to take our way in international shows," Freire explained. "After that, we have been to the Neumünster CDI-W, Dortmund CDI 5*, Mariakalnok CDI-W and Hamburg-Derby and finally Achleiten. Sai baba is getting better and better from competition to competition with more suppleness, self-carriage and experience so that we ware able to score both days over 70%."

Freire's parents owned a big Lusitano breeding farm in Portugal which is specialized in breeding "Portuguese Sport Horses" by combining Lusitano mare lines with German warmblood stallions. Boaventura, however, has been based in Luhmuhlen, Germany, for the last 13 years to build his career and gain expertise as a German schooled dressage rider. Dolf-Dietram Keller has been his steady coach all that time, but Freire has also worked with Portuguese Daniel Pinto and Nuno Palma e Santos.

Boaventura Freire "I have been living in Germany for 13 years nown because I love to progress in my job and here in Germany I have the chance to compete with the best riders in the world. I can watch and learn from them in every competition I go to," he said. "My horses enjoy every sunny day in the field and I try to vary my work with them so that they don't get bored. Every week physiotherapist Marion Jonas comes by to keep my horses in the best shape. I'm an ambitious rider and I love what i do and that is to work with such a intelligent, kind and beautiful creatures that are horses."

Freire would not be a new comer to a Portuguese team. He has been the most successful youth rider his country has produced so far, representing Portugal at the 2007 Young Riders World Cup Final in Portugal and winning kur bronze at the 2008 European Young Riders Championships in Azeitao, Portugal.

"My goal for 2017 is to qualify for the European Championships and to participate for the first time in my senior career at the Europeans as part of the Portugues team," said Freire.