2019 Issue 2: The Lusitano Today and Tomorrow

The Lusitano Today. And Tomorrow?

THE LUSITANO TODAY
Story and Photographs by Keron Psillas Oliveira and tomorrow?
Samora Correia, Portugal

Altivo do Broa (Manuel Veiga) at Golegã, 2013.

With the building success of the Lusitano on bullfighting over many hundreds of years that we have
the world stage of dressage competition, I the functional, calm, courageous horse we have today.
sat down with several respected breeders, an
International judge for the Lusitano breeding society in The breed standard states that the Lusitano, above
Brazil and Portugal, and an FEI Dressage judge to talk all, must be functional and “noble, generous and ardent
about the future of the breed. but always gentle and long suffering.” Continuing, in a
history of the breed, The Portuguese Lusitano Society
As a devoted supporter of the Lusitano breed, I website (www.cavalo-lusitano.com) states: In our horse,
watch closely the developments in the dressage com- “form” follows a “function” perfected over millennia. In
petitions, the working equitation discipline, and the art this dizzy evolution…, there is nothing, now and in the
of Tauromachie (mounted bullfighting). I won’t get into future, to prevent the increasingly demanding function
the controversy about blood sport (bullfighting) in this from producing increasingly great “beauty” and a reap-
article. But I will state unreservedly that it is precisely praisal of the definition of the Lusitano breed standard.
because the Lusitano has been bred and selected for

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The Lusitano Today. And Tomorrow?

Carlos Oliveira presents Famoso Torres Vaz Freire, Golegã, November Senhor Carlos Manuel Lucas Lopes, is an FEI 4*
2013. Famoso was champion three-year-old male and gold medal win- Judge, advisor to French Paralympic Equestrian Team,
ner in 2013. and one of the driving forces behind InEquos, a con-
sortium of investors in young Lusitanos for competition,
Let’s go back a bit in my own history with the Lu- is pleased to see the results of so many horses in the
sitano. The first Portuguese horse I ever rode was top levels of sport, on both sides of the Atlantic. With
Dom José, one of Dominique Barbier’s three original the recognition of correct gaits and movements by the
Lusitanos that he brought to the US in the mid 70’s. judges and the levels of riding improving every year, the
José was Veiga, unpapered but as pure Veiga as Veiga Lusitano is gaining its rightful place. Senhor Lopes con-
can be! I was given the opportunity to ride him when tinues, “we see many young horses with the scope and
he was already 26 years old. But he was very clear with purity of gaits to take them to the highest levels of sport.
everyone that he was the top horse in the barn. It was a We must care for them and train them correctly, respect-
good introduction to the power and clarity that the Luso ing and preserving their natural aptitude for collection
possesses, along with his good-natured patience and and encouraging the relaxation needed for extensions
willingness to partner with a rider that communicates from the very beginning, to show the world the Lusitano
clearly and compassionately. is the finest horse for not only the collected movements
of piaffe, passage and pirouette, but all the movements
When I traveled to Brazil in 2007, I was looking for required in a Grand Prix test…..but even more impor-
horses like Dom José. Competition fever was just catch- tantly, the mind of the Lusitano will take him farther than
ing and the fashion was to ride horses that were taller, many of the great horses that have come before.”
with perhaps the ability to have greater expression in
the extended movements. But what I discovered, to my Carlos Oliveira presenting a Rocas do Vouga young male in Sao Paulo
delight, with the help of Dominique and Debra were the Brazil, Annual International Lusitano Expo, 2010.
Do Top bloodlines. Here I found mares and stallions
(particularly offspring of Afiancado do Flandes) that Rubi AR captured the heart and imagination of many
maintained the classical Luso characteristics and their during the London Olympics of 2012. The success of
incredible functionality. Debra continues to breed full his offspring is remarkable to watch as they mature and
Do Top bloodlines with her sire Bailado Do Top, a direct compete. Maria Caetano continues to advance with
descendant of Afiancado, and her champion Do Top Coroado AR and Fenix Tineo. And we see Rodrigo Moura
mares. Back to Brazil….With a somewhat different diet Torres, former European Working Equitation Champion,
the horses were growing larger (Brazil has grass and on the podium with Fogoso TVF, another Rubi AR son,
room to roam!) But these horses had all the characteris- Beirão AR with Duarte Nogueira, and Equador MVL with
tics I loved in Dom José. his rider João Torrão taking 1st Place in the 2019 Na-
tion’s Cup at Hickstead. This is a tremendous achieve-
It was during a subsequent visit to Brazil that I met ment for the team made entirely of Lusitanos!
Senhor Carlos Manuel Lucas Lopes from Portugal. A
number of years would pass until we met again, but Sen- Senhor Lopes remarks that this is just the begin-
hor Lopes was always working with great breeders and ning. For more than a decade, dedicated breeders have
riders, and steadily increasing his presence and qualifi- worked tirelessly to create a horse with the undeniable
cations on International judging levels. qualities to achieve the world class results in dressage

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that we are seeing now. The question hanging over ev- Trinco SS with Tiago Alves.
eryone’s head during this time has been “at what cost to
the breed standard will we see this success?” Observ-
ing the success of these and other classical Lusitanos,
including Alcaide SOM (property of Yeguada La Perla in
Spain) and Coroada AR, and Euclides MOR on the big
tour, the answer just might be “None!”

Euclides MBR, with Juan Antonio Jimenez, photo courtesy of Hebreu SS with Nathalie Gonfond, trainer of young Lusitanos for
Manuel Braga. bullfighters, at her home near Mouries, France. Hebreu SS is now
ridden by Diego Ventura.
In speaking with Senhor Manuel Braga, who bred
Euclides MOR (Riopele SSC x Onda MBR), a rising
star at the highest levels of international dressage with
rider Juan Antonio Jimenez, I learned that his primary
concern has always been to preserve the best quali-
ties that the bullfighting horses have passed on through
many years. Senhor Braga began his breeding activity
nearly forty years ago. His philosophy has remained
unchanged. Taking the best of the Veiga bloodlines, a
bit of the Andrade blood, and a bit of the bloodlines from
Dr. Menezes (who bred many horses ridden by Mestre
Nuno Oliveira), the Braga horse (Sociedade das Sil-
veiras and MBR) has become known around the world
as a horse of great functionality, a tremendously calm
mind, and increasingly, a horse of great capacity for the
highest levels of sport. During our talk, Senhor Braga
reminisced about some of his favorite horses for some
time and then settled on the importance of Jabute (from
Dr. Menezes and a favorite of Mestre Oliveira). “I liked
this horse very much as he had the best movement of
any horse in Portugal. Morphologically he was not my
favorite, but his functionality was incredible…he had the
best movement of any horse in Portugal! And his mind
was very very good.”

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The Lusitano Today. And Tomorrow? ABOUT KERON PSILLAS OLIVEIRA

As mentioned earlier with Euclides MOR, and also with Im- photographer in 2006. Keron Psillas
portant II SS with Rafael Soto Rosado, we see the Braga horses Oliveira is a photog-
taking their rightful place on the world stage in dressage. But rapher, author, and
the Sociedade das Silveiras horses have long been world-class instructor. Raised
stars in the increasingly popular sport of Working Equitation in Shepherdstown,
(Trinco SS …Inca RC X Palmeira SS)… was World Champion West Virginia, where
with Bruno Pica da Conceicão) and as a horse for the finest after nearly two
bullfighters in the world, including Diego Ventura, now compet- decades in the print-
ing and dazzling aficionados with Hebreu SS. Mafalda Galiza ing and publishing
Mendes is campaigning Isco and Listão SS to great success in industry, Keron be-
working equitation, and Bruno Pica is preparing Istanbul SS for came a professional
perhaps another world title?
Keron teaches week-long photography
After all this talk of champions and horses being groomed courses, equine photo workshops, and maintains
for FEI Grands Prix, Senhor Braga said this to me and I could a robust mentoring program for students in the
not agree more: “The great treasure that is the Lusitano must US and abroad. She is the former director of the
not be tampered with. And that great treasure is this; the Art Wolfe Digital Photography Center. Keron is a
Lusitano is a horse for everyone! Let’s understand, very few longtime assistant to and continues to teach with
people will be able to succeed at the FEI level. But many people photographic legends Sam Abell and Arthur Mey-
around the world want a horse that is safe, is kind, and is a joy erson. She co-leads photography tours in Europe,
to be with. The Lusitano, above all breeds, offers to us these Africa, USA, and Brazil with Charlie Waite and other
qualities.” notable professionals.

Senhor Davi Carrano, owner of Manege Sant Adelaide in Her published works include the highly ac-
Brazil, is also a judge for the Lusitano Society in Brazil and in claimed Forty Years Later, Meditation for Two,
Portugal. He offers this assessment: “The bloodlines are there. The Alchemy of Lightness, and Dressage for the
The functionality is there and continually improving. We have a New Age, with long-time collaborator Dominique
beautiful horse that is expressive AND gentle. If we guard these Barbier. She self-published Four Days in Havana
qualities, the rest of the world will be running to us for horses and Loss and Beauty; creating solace in a land of
and experience what we have known for many years, that the infinite sorrow.
Lusitano is the ideal equine partner for all levels of riders.”
Loss and Beauty; creating solace in a land
Carlos Oliveira presents mare and foal from Quinta da Ferraria, of infinite sorrow, puts composites of her original
Annual Lusitano Expo in Lisbon, 2012. photographs in conversation to illuminate the
personal journeys of victims of the unspeakable
horror that was the Holocaust. Loss and Beauty
won the prestigious Best of Show award for Photo-
book 2015.

Cavalo Lusitano: The Spirit Within, debuted in
November of 2018 from Veritas Editions. It has al-
ready garnered important awards, including being
an Rfoto Folio Selection for 2019. This hand-craft-
ed, fine art, museum book and portfolio includes
work gleaned from 12 years of photographing the
Lusitano horses in Portugal, Brasil, and the United
States.

Concurrent with Cavalo Lusitano: The Spirit
Within, Keron released a trade edition of her work
titled: Lusitano: noble, courageuse, eternal. This
96 page full-color edition with luscious color and
her trademark sensitivity to light will invite you into
the world of the Lusitano, a world that speaks of
still mornings, natural rhythms and centuries of
rich tradition. The photographer’s love of beauty,
form, and nuance is illustrated on every page.
Lusitano: noble, courageous, eternal, has been
honored with the IPPY Bronze Award in Publishing
for 2019.

Keron makes her home in the Ribatejo region
of Portugal among her beloved Lusitano horses.

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