In fact, Rodrigo's first great year was 1992, when he joined the Brazilian team for the Olympic games in Barcelona, with Carlos Vinicius da Motta, Nelson Pessoa, Vitor Teixeira and Lucia Santa Cruz da Motta (as standby). He was only 19 and was the youngest rider disputing the Olympic Games, reaching the 9th place individual count, riding Special Envoy.

In 1993 Rodrigo conquered the Wiesbaden - Paris (France) and Aachen (Germany) GPs and in the same year he won his first Derby, in Eindhoven, his father's trade mark.

In order to participate in the Pan American Games in Mar del Plata in 1994, he won the GPs at Aachen and Aarhus riding Special Envoy, thus earning a place in the team with Nelson Pessoa, André Johannpeter and Vitor Alves Teixeira. And in the Pan, the Brazilians were the gold medal winning team.

Riding Baloubet in 1999, Rodrigo conquered the bi-championship of the World Cup. Then, in that same year, he won Paris-Bercy, Berlin and Amsterdam GPs, and Derby at La Baule, and with all these victories the reached the top of World Ranking.

2000 was a year full of celebrations for, after all, Rodrigo conquered for the third time in a row the Equestrian World Cup with Baloubet, besides bringing to Brazil the bronze team medal at the Olympics, Sydney riding Baloubet, after a hard decision against France's team.
All was going on well, but on the second round of individual final, Rodrigo and Baloubet ended up losing the chance of bringing an individual medal to Brazil. Despite the great disappointment, Rodrigo overcame and again won several competitions with Baloubet.
At the end of 2000, Rodrigo had already conquered 23 victories, 10 second places, 1 World Cup, 1 Olympic Medal and also ended the year as the number of the World Ranking FEI/BCM.

In 2002 Rodrigo took part of GPs in Europe and North America and managed to accumulate good results in both continents.

Altogether there were 175 competitions in 2003, of those he won 21, got second place 12 times and 6 times in third place.

2004 was one of the best years of Rodrigo's life. He conquered 14 victories, 13 second places, 7 third places and 6 GPs. In the Olympics of Athens, riding Baloubet, he conquered the individual silver medal.

2005 was the year in which Olympic Silver turned into Gold. The Irish group formed by Cian O'Connor and Waterford Cristal got disqualified from the Olympic Games due to doping and Rodrigo Pessoa received, on 29th of August in Rio de Janeiro, the long awaited Olympic Gold Medal. In the same year, Rodrigo won with Baloubet du Rouet the two main competitions at Lãs Vegas Invitational, both competitions of his circuit in Brussels and the TOP10 final in Geneva.

The year 2006 has been quite special. Rodrigo has received the horse Oasis, from entrepreneur Hunter Harrison, and has won Falsterbo (Sweden), Lanaken and Brussels (Belgium) Grand Prix mounting him. Mr Hunter Harrison's daughter, rider Cayce, rides a horse named Couer, of amazing qualities. Since she'll dedicate more of her time to her studies in 2007, Rodrigo will have the chance of riding Couer along the year, what gives him great hope to conquer important results.

Good news to end the year, since Belgian rider Judy Ann Melchior, daughter of the owner of one of the most important studs in the world, Zangersheide, has sent two important horses of the stud to be under Rodrigo's responsibility in 2007. They are Air Jordan Z and Balougran Z. Air Jordan Z is ready for the main competitions and Rodrigo is quite optimistic to conquer great results with him. Balougran Z is Baloubet du Rouet's son and has excellent qualities. He is only 7 years old and Rodrigo will dedicate his preparation for the main tournaments.

In 2007, Rodrigo started the season in the USA. In Wellington, secured the second place with Oasis in two events with obstacles of 1.5m and also was runner-up in Coeur's back. In Belgium, on May, CSI3* Antwerp, Rodrigo went up to the most high place GP podium of 1.50m with Rufus.

On July, Rodrigo Pessoa was one of the attractions of the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Riding Rufus helped Brazil to conquer by fifth time the gold medal for staffs in the Games, and the second Rufus' medal. Alongside Rodrigo, were Bernardo Alves, César Almeida and Pedro Vennis. In individual tournament, Rodrigo and Rufus also took the silver medal.

In October, in CSI5* Brussels, organized by rider and his father (Nélson Pessoa), Rodrigo said goodbye to a great career companion: Baloubet du Rouet. It was the last tournament that both have disputed together, finishing one of the most triumphant partnerships of the riding of all times. Together, they won three World Cup titles, two Olympic medals (bronze/Sydney 2000 and gold Athens/2004), besides several victories in the international GPs. At 17 years, Baloubet du Rouet retired and is only for reproduction.

In 2008, the Olympic champion disputed the first tournament of the year in America again. Rodrigo made a special preparation to Rufus aiming at the Olympic Games, in August. He saved a little the animal in the Winter Equestrian Festival in order to participate of the main GPs. It worked, Charlotte Jumper Classic arrived in shape in the main GP of the USA in terms of rewarding. Rodrigo/Rufus guaranteed the second place in GP, which distributed US$ 500,000 in prizes. Rufus with 10 years also gleamed in Europe. In the stage of Hamburgo, CSI5* Global Champions Tour, in Rufus’s back Rodrigo won the Warm up of 1.40m and stayed in 4th in the Worm up of 1.55m. In the Cannes GCT, again the team Rodrigo/Rufus came back to the podium in the event of 1.50m, with the second place. In Valkenswaard’s stage GCT, Rodrigo Pessoa riding Palouchin won the vice-championship of 1.50m event.

In the Olympic Games accomplished in the Equestrian Centre of Sha Tin (Hong Kong), Rodrigo Pessoa shut his participation in 5th place. However, the rider end in suspense by FEI in Hong Kong and close the season of 2008.

In 2009, Rodrigo started the year being Jacksonville's GP champion, in Florida, in his return to tracks. The season promises being of great victories.

2004 was indeed a very intense year. With his father, Rodrigo had one of his dreams come true, bringing back to international calendar the traditional CSI of Brussels. Besides riding, he took the position of organiser, and the Tournament was beautiful, certainly filled with many discoveries and adjustments to be done for the following year. A group of entrepreneurs offered the space Tour & Taxis, an old, abandoned, very high ceiling and beautiful building, similar to Júlio Prestes Railway Station, in São Paulo.
warm up ring, the stables, the restaurant area and the audience properly. And despite the very cold weather, the tournament was great!

In 2005, they developed the CSI of Brussels again. More experienced, this time they could offer an even more special event, in visual, comfort and service terms, and fortunately the weatehr helped as well since it was not as cold as the previous year. And having Rodrigo as tournament organiser, 2006 CSI is already under development.


In 2006, the 3rd edition of the tournament in Brussels was a hit. One more year when Rodrigo had the opportunity of winning two of the three main sets of the event, including Audi Equestrian Masters grand Prix.

Audi Equestrian Master has got more and more relevant over the years and preparations for 2007 have already started full speed.

In 2007, the Audi Equestrian Masters was one more great success. In the course of the tournament days, the public has appeared numerously, Rodrigo jumped by second time with Baloubet du Rouet, that went for reproduction and the GP was won by the German Ludger Beerbaum, giving a real show when has received his prize Audi.

In the next year, two big news: the place changing and the Rolex Top 10 Final. The occurrence passed from old train station into exhibition centre of Brussels and for the first time the event has joined the 10 better rider of the ranking FEI/Rolex leave Geneva (Switzerland) and went to Brussels (Belgium). The French Michel Robert was the winner, and in the GP Audi – that has close the 5th edition of the Audi Equestrian Masters – the victory refers to Australian Edwina Alexander. Furthermore, the occurrence also was the launch stage of 2008 yearbook of Global Champions Tour, which had its grand finale in Brazil, at the Athina Onassis International Horse Show.

In 2009, the Audi Equestrian Masters has everything to be a completely great success. The date is already stipulated: from 26 to 29 November 2009. Until then!

I live near Brussels, close to my parents and to Manège. My daily life is very busy, and if I'm not travelling for a competition, I'm between the Manège and home. Manège is nearly our second home, we are always there or at tournaments, and I end up spending a lot of time either on aeroplanes or in my travelling Motor Home.

I'm a busy but calm person: sport's discipline is a little hard sometimes, and the need of concentration makes me a bit austere, I guess. But when I can, I chill out.