-- FEI press release by Louise Parkes, edited and expanded by Eurodressage
Ecuador’s Julio Mendoza Loor is not a man to hide his emotions, and his smile was a mile wide when he was crowned individual dressage champion at the 2023 Pan American Games in Quillota, Chile.
The individual medal freestyle final concluded the dressage part at the 2023 Pan Ams. Brazil’s João Marcari Oliva and Feel Good VO followed Loor into the ring and put a hefty 86.160 on the board to take their second silver medal of the week. And it was team gold medallist, USA’s Anna Marek with Fire Fly, who snatched bronze when last of the 19 starters, her 81.305 giving her the edge over team-mate and defending individual champion Sarah Tubman with First Apple.
This was his country’s first dressage gold medal in the 72-year history of the Games, and partnering the lovely Dutch-bred gelding Jewel’s Goldstrike (by Bretton Woods x Scandic) he produced a fabulous Freestyle performance for a mark of 87.230 that proved impossible to beat when third-last to go.
Two Olympic Individual Slots
Aside from three medals to be won, the freestyle finals had the extra bonus that two individual slots at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games were on offer to NOCs in the region for countries not already qualified as a team. Mendoza has claimed one for Ecuador while the other goes to Chile after the German born Svenja Grimm and Doctor Rossi finished eighth in today’s competition.
"I can’t believe it - history for Ecuador and I got my spot for the Olympics today so it’s really exciting,' said Julio Mendoza Loor.
Also the judges seemed very carried away by the festive moment, especially in the freestyle finals, as each rider topped the score of the previous one. With the last block of riders the floodgates for gratuitous points were open to make it an even bigger party. Albeit, the Kur to Music in Quillota was certainly a celebration of dressage sport and good promotion for the discipline in Latin America.
Goldie Strikes Gold
The Americans were strong all day, Codi Harrison and Katholt’s Bossco (by Don Schufro x Michellino) taking the lead on 79.230% before the final group of five took their turn.
But Julio Mendoza Loor blew the competition wide open when dancing his way to over 87% in a test brimming with confidence and class. In Sunday’s Grand Prix there had been costly mistakes, but on Monday he put things right to win the Grand Prix Special. And today it was plain sailing all the way to the biggest result of his career.
“My plan was to go mistake-free and I did it!”, he said. He knew he was doing a good test and that he needed to keep his nerve.“Especially after my last pirouette/piaffe, straight from pirouette to piaffe which is really complicated, he was really ready for it.
"After that I had to hold in my tears because I just wanted to cry," said Julio.
Goldstrike is known as Goldie at home, and he’s a treasured member of the Mendoza Loor family. “I got him from a friend five years ago (Eliane Cordia-van Reesema of Jewel Court Stud) and the first time I rode him I was laughing because he wanted to be a little bit cheeky and I said ‘come on baby, bring it on!’ I love his character and we’ve become best friends”, Loor explained.
The Dutch Warmblood gelding lives a natural life, full of freedom. “He lives outside 24/7, he has his own stall with his name on it but he loves his field. For me if that’s where he is happiest then that’s where he has to live,"said the newly-crowned gold medallist.
Pleased and proud
“For my horse and my team and for my other friends who were competing with me - this silver is also for them”, he pointed out. “My horse was listening to me, he felt fresh, he also wanted to win the medal like me. I chose the music because the first part is called Feeling Good and that’s also the name of horse so I felt it was a match and I liked the music and everything went right!”, he explained.
It wasn’t easy to change from his top ride, Escorial, who he competed at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 and the 2022 Dressage World Championship in Herning (DEN) and who was withdrawn due to fitness issues in favour of the Westphalian stallion he rode this week.
“I have more experience with Escorial, he’s older and my first choice was him. But the other horse (Feel Good VO) gave me the same or maybe more, he was really into it and he gave his best and we got the silver medal. We will never know what would have happened if I had the other horse (Escorial), but this horse did the best he could do”, he pointed out.
Never Done a Major Championship Before
USA’s Anna Marek said she came to the Pan Americans “not expecting a whole lot in terms of an individual medal”, so with a bronze individual to add to the team gold she won on Monday it has been quite a week.
She is obviously a woman of many talents. She and her husband have a 20-acre farm and also keep training horses and clients at another farm close by. Describing her lifestyle she explained, “I coach, I ride, I teach, I’m a mom, I clean my house, I feed horses….!”
She was completely taken aback about making it onto the podium today aboard Fire Fly (by Briar Junior x OO Seven). She was back at the stables when she heard the news.
“Standing in the box and finding out that I was bronze here today I freaked out! I almost made my horse take off! My coach Anne Gribbons told me before going in, you’re not riding for the team any more, you have nothing to lose so just go for it! But I had to follow those two (Loor and Marcari Oliva who were standing nearby) so you’ve got to do something right!”, she said.
Praises
Meanwhile new Pan American Games individual champion Julio Mendoza Loor was still singing the praises of the horse that has carried him to the most significant moment in his career.
“I can’t express how grateful I am to this horse (Jewel’s Goldstrike). He gave me everything and more than I deserve, and I’m always going to be grateful to him. He’s always going to be at home in the field - I love him!!”, he said.
-- text by Louise Parkes for FEI, edited by Eurodressage
Photos © FEI
Related Links
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2023 Pan American Games
Scores: 2023 Pan American Games