Caetano to Pursue Portuguese Olympic Team Selection with Fenix de Tineo, Coroado on a Break

Dressage

Portugal

Portuguese Grand Prix rider and multiple team member Maria Caetano will be pursuing team selection for the 2021 Olympic Games with her rising star Fenix de Tineo. Her 2018 WEG team partner Coroado is on a break to recover from an injury.

Multiple Team Rider

The 34-year old Maria Caetano has been a fixture on the Portuguese Grand Prix teams for all major summer championships since 2009. She competed at the 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 European Dressage Championships on Diamant, Util and Xiripiti, as well as at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, before the Lusitano stallion Coroado came into her life.

The now 14-year old Coroado (by Rubi AR x Xaquiro) has taken Caetano to new heights in her career. After campaigning at the 2013 World Young Horse Championships in Verden they developed to Grand Prix and were one of the strongholds of the Portuguese team at the 2017 and 2019 European Championships as well as the 2018 World Equestrian Games. Maria is also the first rider ever to score over 80% in a Kur to Music aboard a Lusitano bred horse.

Coroado On a Break

Maria and Coroado at the 2019 CDI-W Mechelen

The grey stallion has a knack for dancing to music and represented Portugal at the 2019 World Cup Finals in Gothenburg, where they were 13th. Their last international together was the 2019 World Cup qualifier in Mechelen, Belgium, where they posted another 80.940% to finish second in the freestyle.

In the 2020 corona year, Caetano took it easy on the showing with very few CDI opportunities crossing her way. Unfortunately a small injury sustained at the end of last year did not progress as well as expected and has forced Caetano to withdraw Coroado from team contention.

"After having two great seasons in 2018 and 2019 with top results in the World Cup, WEG and then being the best Portuguese horse in the European Championship in Rotterdam, leading the Portuguese team to qualify for the Olympics, he deserved so much to go to Tokyo," Caetano told Eurodressage. "Unfortunately a small injury, which was being treated at the end of the season of 2020, became worse than expected and we had to decide to wait a few more months before he’s coming back to the ring."

She continued, "Coroado is recovering to come back, showing his power in the arena hopefully at the winter season."

Fenix de Tineo on Fire

Maria and Fenix de Tineo at the 2018 CDI Aachen

Although Coroado will not be ready on time for team selection, Maria has a second iron in the fire, Juan Manuel Cordeiro's 11-year old Lusitano stallion Fenix de Tineo (by Rubi AR x Oheido). The dark bay stallion has been making significant progress the past 12 months.

Introduced to international Grand Prix in 2019, Fenix de Tineo gained valuable mileage and ring experience at top level in 2020, competing at CDI's in Lier, Segovia, Beloura, Le Mans, and Alter do Chao.

The stallion has coped well with the demands of the Grand Prix tests and is maturing into a solid, reliable Grand Prix horse with scores climbing higher at each show. They kicked off their 2021 campaign in Doha, Qatar, with a 70.304% in the Grand Prix. At the CDI Mannheim two weeks ago, they posted 69.435% with small mistakes in the Grand Prix, but immediately rose to a 73.110% in the Kur.

"I’m focusing all my energy and dedication on my younger partner Fenix de tineo, who is Coroado’s little half-brother. I want to be able to represent Portugal in Tokyo," she said. "Fenix is improving a lot and getting stable and experienced in the ring."

Maria and Fenix de Tineo are heading to the CDI Verden (GER) this weekend, after which they will compete at the CDI Grote Brogel (BEL).