2004 Braganca Paulista
Images by Cidinha Franzao
Schedule of Events || List of Starters || Venue
Results
Steph's Stories:
Arrivals and a Quiet Week-End || Touring the Countryside
Ride Day at Haras Endurance International || On to the Finish || Finish daze in Brazil
2004 CEI***/**/* Braganca Paulista - SP Brazil
The event will have three categories: A one-day 80 kilometer (50 mile) ride, a two day 160 km (100 miles) ride, 80 kms each day, and a one-day 120 km ride.
The Sao Paulo Bragança will start at the Haras Endurance and will include a variety of trails with varying topography. It should be an excellent ride, with beautiful trail. Leo Steinbruch, organizer and host, expects at least 150 riders at the ride. About the City: Bragança Paulista is situated in the border of the states of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais. A city of 125 thousand inhabitants, it is on the southern edge of the Mantiqueira Mountain Range and is part of the ´`circuit of the waters``, the area of rivers that drains inland to the Pantanos region. Its name derives from the dynasty that governed Portugal for centuries since 1640. Taboão Lake is name given to the the area, but the city is known as the Bragança - 'sausage capital’, from the famous sausages manufactured by the Italian Palmira Boldrini, from 1911.
RESULTS
CEI** 119km Young Riders - Complete Results |
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CEI*** 160km (80x2) Adult - Full Results |
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CEI* 80KM Adult - Full Results |
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Photo Albums
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Arrivals and a Quiet Week-End
Henrique Garcia met me at the airport, a friendly, smiling handsome Brazilian. (how can an entire nation be so beautiful?). Henrique navigated the Sao Paulo traffic with ease.
Sao Paulo is the third largest city in the world, a metropolitan area of 18 million people, with many different ethnic groups. It is the heart of Brazil, huge and sprawling, energetic and diverse.
There are some very poor people living here, with tiny brick and cement buildings packed closely together, and clustered along the hillside. We drove through some nice sections too, some very stark contrasts in population.
Touring the Countryside
Saturday (a week before the ride) evening Henrique and I returned to
the house, met Amarilis (Amy), packed some things and headed to the
beach. Amy's parents own property on a small private beach along the
Atlantic coast, south of Rio de Janeiro. The beach is nestled in
'Banana Cove' (my English translation), on the southern tip of a
peninsula in Ubatuba, a gorgeous area with mountainous islands, dozens
of beaches, and pristine native South Atlantic forest which is
preserved and maintained by the state. Their beach is very secluded,
accessible only by boat. And it is spectacular... a classic tropical
paradise.
We drove for around two hours, heading northwest of Sao Paulo, and spent the night at a small hotel. In the morning we drove to the public beach where the marina launched the boat 'The Amarilis' - a small, stable and sturdy inflatable boat with a very big motor. The safest boat around for skirting the islands and coastline. We headed out into the open sea, for the peninsula, and encountered some big (I thought) rolling swells, but Henrique said it was a relatively calm day, good for boating. Yikes...
Ride day at Haras Endurance International
Saturday morning, up early and at the hotel cafeteria for breakfast
with Luis and Renato (a friend and rider who boards and trains at
Henrique´s ranch near Sorocaba). Plenty of coffee and some fruit and
bread, then off to the ride. This is my day to do my first Brazilian
Endurance ride, on a young horse - his first 80km ride as well - with
a wonderful man who can not see, and it will also be his horse´s first
80km ride! Wow... (insha´allah...)
We arrived at the stable, and the horses were already saddled up and ready to go (Henrique´s crew is very good!). We rode down to the starting area, Vilson at the head of Luis´ horse, and warmed the horses up. Luis need to do a minor tack adjustment and I could see his hands trembling while he worked with the buckle on his reins ... from excitement, nerves? I do think this is one of the most incredible people I´ve ever met. And I have to admit that I was a bit anxious myself. Luis has ridden a lot of Endurance (also vaulting if you can imagine...) . Last year he was invited to ride in Dubai at the National Day Cup. He rode his trustworthy mare, and Vilson Suarez (friend and rider for Henrique) went along to Henrieque´s amazing horse Bodolay, as his guide. There´s a whole ´nother story....
On to the Finish
It's been great riding so many different horses, different temperaments, different gaits, different saddles.... and every horse that I've ridden I have liked - all different, but all horses - I don't think I've ever met a horse that I didn't like :)
Firebird felt good going out, the most eager he'd been all day, but it
was quite hot and there were some big hills to climb, and I was
worried about his downhill muscles, so once we left the flat shaded
road, I slowed him down and just relaxed into the rest of the ride,
plenty of time.
This loop really was tough, up and down, up and down, and then up and up and up. We climbed high into the hills, through logging areas, pine and eucalyptus forests, cooler air and spectacular views! There is really nothing in the US that resembles this part of Brazil. It is hilly, but in the tropic zone, so the vegetation is lush and the sky is very blue, green rolling fields and forests, and flowers trees and plants everywhere! It's beautiful, no wonder the Brazilian people are so happy.
I got off and led him back down the mountain, it was warm and sunny and I was quite happy to be walking with this big bay anglo-arab. We wound down the mountain and I climbed back on. The last few miles were through the village, dogs, children, bikes, stone houses with red tile roofs, stone walls covered with flowering plants (they just grow here... you don't even have to try!). It felt very Brazilian... very exotic...
Finish daze in Brazil
I finished the 80km at about the same time as Monica (Henrique's niece
riding the 120km) who was riding Henrique's horse, Kumparcita - a
small gray mare, nothing spectacular to look at, but amazing
performer. She took Monica to the Junior World Championship in Italy
last year, finishing (I think) 4th and receiving BC. They finished 4
at this ride (the Young Rider division) and Kumparcita was awarded BC
again. A very happy Monica and Henrique at the awards.
We hung around the crewing area for a while (it was a muddy mess from all the water used for crewing) and then back to the hotel for showers, and off to dinner. Henrique's family, the other riders, Elizabeth and the officials, Reuben and Theresa (from Chile) and lots of beer and Caipirinha. Nice evening, sitting outside in the warm air.
Since it was a 2-day ride, we were up again (too) early and back to the ride site. I told Elizabeth I would be happy to work today so she gave me a job as vet scribe for Pepe, my favorite Uruguayan vet! It is always interesting to be on the 'other side' of a competition , the perspective can be quite different. It was a fun day, punctuated in the afternoon by a heavy summer rain. It let loose just as the last riders were coming in, and really poured, but cleared up in time for the BC judging and awards.