Maria Caetano

Riding the Figueiras Horses

Maria Caetano is one of Portugal’s most accomplished dressage riders. As a multiple national champion and Olympic rider, she has spent her career working with Lusitano horses at the highest level of sport. Over the past years she has also become closely involved with the Figueiras horses.

Her connection with the Figueiras breeding program began when António Simões contacted her father and suggested that Maria could be the right rider for one of his young stallions: Oscar das Figueiras. “When António sent me the videos of Oscar, I was immediately impressed,” Maria recalls. “He was still very young, but the quality was obvious. I said straight away that I would be very happy to ride him.”

Shortly after, Oscar and his full brother arrived for training. From that moment Maria started working with several Figueiras horses, discovering their qualities in daily training. “The first thing that impressed me was their athletic ability,” she explains. “They have strength in the back and a natural willingness to work with the rider. That combination is very important for dressage.”

Among the horses she rode were Oscar das Figueiras, Niro das Figueiras and Nobel das Figueiras. With Nobel she developed a particularly special connection. “Sometimes you cannot explain it,” Maria says. “From the first moment I sat on him we had a very strong bond. He developed incredibly quickly and within a short time he was already performing Grand Prix exercises.”

Still, for Maria the most exceptional horse remains Oscar. “Oscar is a very complete horse with three outstanding gaits,” she explains. “But what makes him really special is the elasticity in his back. When you ride him you feel softness and power at the same time. It almost feels like riding on a cloud.” According to Maria, this combination of strength and elasticity is rare and extremely valuable in modern dressage.

She also highlights the intelligence and mindset of the horses. “They are energetic and a little bit spicy, but they are also very focused and willing to cooperate with the rider. They react very well when learning new exercises and they really enjoy the work.”

For Maria, one of the most striking characteristics of the Figueiras horses is their trot. “The trot work and the ability for collection and passage are really exceptional,” she says. “That is something that stands out immediately.” Looking toward the future, Maria believes the Figueiras horses have everything needed to succeed at the highest level of international dressage.  “They have the athletic ability, the character and the natural talent for collection. When a horse has those qualities, it can truly become a top sport horse.”