“HE’S AS GOOD AS HE WAS BEFORE”

AT Aachen in 2018, Brazilian rider Yuri Mansur and his brilliant horse Vitiki suffered a horror fall and the gelding was taken away in a horse ambulance. X-rays revealed a broken off-fore pastern and the 10-year-old chestnut wore a cast for the next month as he began his recovery. Despite several setbacks during Vitiki’s careful rehabilitation, 14 months later the pair competed again at Saint Tropez. They had just returned to five-star level at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida when the global pandemic halted the sport. But the three-star grand prix in Vilamoura marked a miraculous milestone as Yuri and Vitiki jumped to their first podium finish since the accident.

“During the last three or four shows I’ve really started feeling that he’s as good as he was before,” said Yuri of his beloved 12-year-old gelding. “He’s feeling crazy good in fact since he arrived at this show. He’s an incredible horse.”