May 4, 2026 
Club Hípico La Silla is hallowed ground in the sport of show jumping.
Founded in the early 1990s as the fever dream of Alfonso “Poncho” Romo Garza, it’s a venue steeped in history, and that has been graced by icons of the sport, past and present. Think Hugo Simon and ET and Anne Kursinski and Eros winning the Pulsar Crown Series, predecessor to the Rolex Grand Slam.
But for Brazilian Olympic champion Rodrigo Pessoa, the expansive grass field at La Silla is more than a venue—it’s a touchstone.
As a young rider, Pessoa was among the elite few to earn a coveted invite—and plane ticket—to compete against the world’s best youth at La Silla. Early in his meteoric rise, he piloted Loro Piana Special Envoy to win the Aeromexico Challenge in 1996, out‑running Britain’s Robert Smith by a razor‑thin 0.12 seconds. Three years later, in 1999, he claimed the Grande Prêmio Clássico aboard his World Championship mount Lianos.
Then there’s the horse power. La Silla’s breeding program produced HH Rebozo (originally Rebozo LS), the Mexican‑bred stallion that carried him to fourth‑place finishes at the 2010 World Equestrian Games and his sixth Olympic games, London 2012.
Now, more than 30 years after his first win at the club, Pessoa added a new title at a familiar venue.
On Saturday, the Brazilian led the victory gallop at La Silla, claiming the GNP Seguros 5* Grand Prix with 11‑year‑old Belgian Warmblood gelding Prins van’t Eigenlo (Vigo d’Arsouilles STX x Zandor Z) to bring the Major League Show Jumping (MLSJ) Season 5 finale to a close.
In an eight‑horse jump‑off over a track designed by Paris Olympic course designer Gregory Bodo, Pessoa stopped the clock at 38.63 seconds—edging USA’s Marilyn Little and La Contessa (38.76 seconds) and pushing Kent Farrington’s own Mexican‑bred hero, Descartes SR, into third (39.15).
“The horse was unbelievable today,” said Pessoa, who took over the ride from France’s Roger Yves Bost last year. “I knew there were quick horses in the jump‑off, but this track suited me well. The last line with the long gallop allowed me to take advantage of this horse’s massive stride.”
“When we wake up in the morning of a big grand prix, we are always hoping to do well,” he continued. “I was confident because he jumped well on Thursday and has been coming along very well. He gave me a fantastic feeling in the first round, and I knew we had to go for it in the jump‑off.”
Pessoa’s victory was more than a personal milestone; it was a homecoming.
“It’s fantastic to be back here in La Silla,” he said, “it’s an iconic place in our sport.”
