Corona Times: Hit & Run with Rodrigo Torres

Interviews

Hit & Run

In corona times we are all ordered to stay at home, self quarantine, and do social distancing. With more time on your hands to spend online, Eurodressage launches a "Hit & Run" interview series so that you get to know the world's most famous dressage riders and personalities more closely.

Portuguese Grand Prix rider Rodrigo Torres is a professional dressage rider based in Lisbon, breeding Lusitano dressage and working equitation horses. His international Grand Prix dressage debut was in 2012 on Zimbro. Four years later he returned to the CDI scene in 2016 on Califa II, but the horse Fogoso really put him in the spotlight. In 2018 the pair was named reserve for the Portuguese team for the World Equestrian Games, but when a spot opened up he declined to go as Fogoso was too young. In 2019 he represented Portugal at the European Dressage Championships in Rotterdam. He won the gold medal at the 2019 Portuguese Grand Prix Championships in Lisbon.

Hit & Run - Rodrigo Torres

What is your earliest memory?

Walking around with my father and grandfather in our farm looking at the cows and mares

Which person alive do you admire the most and why?

People that know what they want, specially my father and my wife

When were you the happiest?

When my daughter was born, just 2 month s ago

What is your biggest fear?

Loosing a member of my family or a close friend

What was your first thought today?

My daughter started crying... my first thought was “Is she hungry?”... I tend to solve everything with food

What is your most annoying character trait?

I’m stubborn at times...

Which trait do you dislike the most in other people?

Dishonesty

What is your dearest possession?

Not sure if you can call it a possession, but certainly my family and our stud which was built by my father and grandfather

If you look into the future, what do you see?

Happiness with my family living in our farm, while breeding and competing in dressage competitions with my wife on top lusitano horses, sons of my current star Fogoso

What makes you unhappy?

Seeing my loved ones unhealthy or unhappy

What is the love of your life?

My family

What was the best choice you ever took in life?

To become a professional rider

What's your guilty pleasure?

Eating, I eat a lot

What do you owe your parents?

Everything

Who can sit next to you at your dream dinner table?

My wife

What was the worst job you ever did?

Being a student in school

What was your biggest disappointment in life?

In 2002 I lost an the individual World Champion title in Working Equitation in the last obstacle of the last test... it was a small mistake where my knee touched a barril in the speed test and it made me drop four positions, after having won the team gold medal...

What would you change if you can go back into the past?

Nothing

Name one thing that would improve your quality of life?

To be younger

What is your biggest achievement?

Building a happy family

What is the most important life lesson you have learnt?

Resilience, we have to be patient, and things will happen

Where would you like to be right now?

Where I am, with my family

What's your favourite scent?

The countryside after rain

Which character would you dress up in for Halloween?

Zorro

To whom would you like to say sorry?

No one, if I wanted to say sorry I would have done it already

What does love feel like for you?

The smile of my wife and daughter

When are you most relaxed?

When I have my work done

What super power would you like to have?

To understand what horses want to say

When did you last cry, and why?

Happy tears, when my daughter was born

When were you closest to death?

Fortunately, never

How do you want to be remembered?

As a good husband, father and rider