Rodrigo Torres Welcomes Two New Grand Prix Stars in the Barn

Dressage

Portugal

Portuguese Olympian Rodrigo Torres will not be without a Grand Prix horse for long after selling his last ownership share in his Tokyo ride Fogoso. He has welcomed two new horses in the barn: Jota de Hermida and Walvat.

Jota da Hermida

Jota da Hermida is a 9-year old Lusitano stallion by Unico out of Zarzuela (by ). He is bred by Coudelaria Quinta da Hermida.

Portuguese 2018 WEG and 2022 World Championship team rider Vasco Mira Godinho trained the horse as a youngster.

He was originally owned by the late Pedro Horta Osorio of Coisas do Campo (POR). After the passing of Osorio in November 2022, the heirs have been disbanding his broodfarm.

Jota already moved to Spain to be produced by Claudio Castilla Ruiz in 2020. Castillo competed the horse in the 6-year old classes in 2020 and did one young horse CDI in November that year at Alter do Chao, where they won both tests. They campaigned lightly at national level and won bronze at the 2021 Spanish Young horse Championships in the 6-year old division.

In 2022 Castilla returned to the CDI ring with Jota at small tour level at the CDI Madrid, placing third in the Inter I and winning the Inter I kur.

Jota has now sold to company Campline for Torres to take to Grand Prix level as a Paris Olympic hopeful.

Walvat

And Torres does not get one but two horses to ride from Campline. They also purchased the 10-year old Walvat, who has been competed at international Grand Prix level by Elena Sidneva.

Walvat is a Russian warmblood by Wasensee, bred at Veedern stud farm in Russia, but interestingly registered as an Austrian Warmblood. He was owned and produced to Grand Prix level by the Austrian based Russian Elena Sidneva. The ownership changed to her Austrian company S.P. Dressage GmbH in the summer of 2022.

Sidneva and Walvat made their international show debut in 2020 at small tour level in Pilisjaszfalu. A year later they moved up to Grand Prix level and campaigned in Brno and Samorin.

Walvat and Torres are expected to make a quick competition start with the 2023 European Championships in Riesenbeck on the horizon.