http://www.noellefloyd.com/brazil-show-jumping-team-2016-rio-olympic-games/
Interestingly, Rodrigo Pessoa is the traveling reserve. Didn’t see that one coming, though I don’t follow Brazilian show jumping that closely.
I think it might be a question of horse power. I am sad for him though to likely miss riding for his country, in front of his country. Even if he lives and competes elsewhere.
Wowza! Can’t believe that they didn’t put him on the team! Especially since the most recent Untacked Magazine had a huge article about him going to compete in his last Olympics in his home country. I figured he had already made the team!
Yeah Rodrigo’s big horse purchased last year has been a complete bust but doda only has the two horses and had better pray that his mount stays sound. Remember doda missed Beijing when his horse went lame.
[QUOTE=HorseLuvr;8753398]
Wowza! Can’t believe that they didn’t put him on the team! Especially since the most recent Untacked Magazine had a huge article about him going to compete in his last Olympics in his home country. I figured he had already made the team![/QUOTE]
I read that same article and also assumed he had already been named to the team. I would have thought they would put him on automatically, even if he had to ride a donkey!
I think Rodrigo had originally intended to campaign Status for the games, but he got hurt. He just recently (right before WEF) got Cadjanine back, and she needed some R&R before she was ready to really dig in and compete again. I think he started showing her halfway through WEF. So I agree, it’s probably more about horsepower than anything.
Aww…that’s disappointing. Yeah, I read the article, too, and was happy for him to compete at “home”. Shoot.
I truly do not understand how this is possible. It is not as if the Brazilian team had much depth. They chose a 26 years old with virtualy no international experience over Rodrigo Pessoa, a former Olympic Champion and three time world cup final winner. When you have such a rider in your country, and the lack of riders the Brazil has, you cannot put this rider on the sideline if he feels he is ready and his horse is ready. And although he doesn’t have the best horse he ever had, Cadjanine with a rider of the experience and talent of Rodrigo Pessoa worth any other horse on that team. I think Georges Morris really missed it on that call. Almost feels that it was more of a ego power call than a responsible professionnal call.
Maybe it’s GM actually secretly pulling for the U.S. by diminishing the Brazilian team. 
Just kidding. But I’m sad to see Rodrigo likely not riding.
Kinda shocked. We’d use one of our top riders on a “maybe not tippee top horse” and have done it before. I would have thought GM would do the same under these circumstances?!
I forgot GM was their coach. Still surprised they aren’t using Rodrigo, no matter what he would have to ride.
The plot thickens!
Noelle Floyd just posted this, a list of all horse/rider combos for the games. Rodrigo is not on it; Felipe is listed as the reserve.
http://www.noellefloyd.com/definite-show-jumping-riderhorse-list-2016-rio-de-janeiro-olympic-games/
[QUOTE=ybiaw;8756438]
The plot thickens!
Noelle Floyd just posted this, a list of all horse/rider combos for the games. Rodrigo is not on it; Felipe is listed as the reserve.
Very perplexing! I would love to know the back story here.
I could be wrong but I feel like I’ve seen Morris and Nelson Pessoa conferring plenty of times this year at Brazilian team outings. I would bet it’s a question of youth and horse power, and fairness to Cadjanine. She has been bounced from pillar to post by her ambitious owner, and while she looks very happy to be re-united with Rodrigo, an Olympic schedule might be daunting.
Here’s Rodrigo’s comments on the situation - link and below, Google Translate’s take on the article. Even allowing for something to be lost in the translation, it’s interesting reading.
The absence of Rodrigo Pessoa of Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games is probably the first big surprise. It has long been known that the Olympic champion in Athens in 2004 had made what would have been his 7th OJ its main purpose in recent years. Yet George Morris took the heavy responsibility of designating the flagship of Brazil at the last Games in London as a reservist of the team. Yet for 44 years, the former world champion, triple winner of the World Cup … analyze the situation very calmly and no bitterness.
"For such championships, I think it is important to take into account the history of the riders. My mare is perhaps inherently lower than the other four horses but when in the middle contest of Aachen, I warn that I am ready for the Olympic Games, I think given my past, given the number of times I’ve proved that I can bring a horse ready at the right time, we can take this into account and give me the necessary credit. Everywhere, in every team there is a fifth and that is absolutely not pejorative. If I were in a country with real competition like Germany, Holland, France, it would be logical … but here I am doing the analysis with respect to Brazil, compared to the qualities available in my team. I am even more surprised that we take rather a boy of 25 who jumped four Grand five stars in his life.
Look Sweden you have a young rider with little experience at the top level with a very good horse and you have the leader of the group with Rolf Unita when he won the Grand Prix with Falsterbo Clarimo you change the first experience because it tells you it is ready. Now that’s a smart decision to a team leader who is close to his riders and horses.
I think in our team with Pedro Veniss jumps Quabri Isle at the highest level in three years with good results, their place is indisputable. Eduardo de Menezes Quintol jumps with the highest level for three years with satisfactory results, their place is justified. Doda Cornetto up for less time, they have had some performance-cons from Doda but has the experience and the couple grew with good competition in Falsterbo, it’s only one competition and we can discuss the difficulty but do not be choosy, this is a five star. By cons, choose a 4th rider who has four five-star contest in his life with a horse that has never been tested on real heights; Although he made no mistake in the cuts of La Baule and Falsterbo but we know that the cuts are less than the GP where he made 8 points in La Baule and 12 points GCT Cannes, its place is to be fifth, c 'is all. The coach never liked the mare because she shakes her head and is unusual but has the qualities it has and what is certain is that it will not be less than the others. He left me in the dark and never asked for results so I did move the mare to be ready at the right moment, not before, not after. It is certain that I was against the departure of Jean-Maurice Bonneau had a much more professional approach and constant presence but do not need to come back to it but it was the beginning of the end I am convinced .
In January, we met George Morris and I validated this choice after giving my vet for another team leader … but we realized later that it was absolutely not a modern person which moves only very little and made his choice on a competition when he does not even know the names of the horses. I obviously objected to the choice of the team that made a real earthquake in Brazil. Now it’s up to them to take the consequences. Since my eviction warrant that their team is so strong, for them to align faultless and bring back a medal. If this is not the case, the press and our equestrian community will fall on them. I wish them it goes well, I’m not bitter, just disappointed. I know I could be ready for the right moment and I have proved that I could do it, that’s all. At the announcement of this decision, I warned that I will not go as 5th … but given the emphasis and, although I do not really want it, so many things can happen in ten days I agreed to do Cadjanine quarantine as expected in my stables to be ready if necessary but I will not be the only one sixth rider will also quarantine because if everyone is ready to take off, it is he who will take place from 5 th man. I’ll be the fifth man from person to Rio. Now, I tell you that being quietly with family and basically, it is most important in life. I wish to make one last attempt, this probably will not. Clearly, it’s time to take stock, it is a reflection that I had already begun several months ago and I’ll continue … even if he is not about to turn his back any overnight. That would anyway not been the case had I participated in the Games. I have two very good horses in my stables that have been absent lately, Jordan II will soon be able to start well Ferro Chin VH Lindenhof who had surgery. These are two high quality horses, I have associated, commitments, I will not let these horses on the roadside. "
Wow.
Wow is right. He says he’s not bitter, but I sure would be!
I stand corrected. And he sounds somewhat bitter-ish to me. For a good time, google Alain van Campenhoudt (the long-time owner of Cadjanine). He seems like a guy who wants his Oompa Loompa NOW. That must have been a not-fun conversation for Rodrigo.
Rodrigo has been pretty open with his criticism of how the preparations for the games and the Fifa World Cup were handled as well as the corruption in Brazil. I have to wonder if he pissed some of the wrong people off…
[QUOTE=AffirmedHope;8757183]
Rodrigo has been pretty open with his criticism of how the preparations for the games and the Fifa World Cup were handled as well as the corruption in Brazil. I have to wonder if he pissed some of the wrong people off…[/QUOTE]
He makes it seem like GM didn’t like his horse in that article.
What a bummer for Rodrigo. I would be pretty bitter myself.
