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The Horse

Our lives crossed,And we have learnt how to teach you !That was our beginning.

Your nobleness... power... braveness,wild beauty.... mains in the wind.That nature, master of his own.

Head and tail proudly raised,Savage strength, soft energy...Friend, confident, companion....

Who better to listen than your horse ?And how he feels, how he lives the sensation ...That harmony!

A friendly touch, it's the surrender,The reward,A slight press of a finger,A gentle touch of the leg !

Admire the movement, the delicacy...The lightness....Piaffer, passage, levade a capriole,

It doesn't matter,We ask and he gives,Fantastic and total harmony...,Unnoticed symbiosis;

So, we love him, as part of ourselves !

uis Valença Rodrigues - his name has becomeenshrined in the history of the Lusitano.

As a student and companion of Nuno de Oliveira hesignificantly influenced the riding culture of Portugal and indeedthe whole of the Iberian Peninsula.

He was one of the founding fathers of The “Escola PorutguesaDe Arte Equestre”, the Royal Portuguese Riding School thatrestarted in 1979.

Today Luis Valença Rodrigues is one of the most respectedmasters of riding in Portugal. In 2002 he was awarded the titleof ‘Patron’ of the Equestrian Show Academy of Versailles.

In APASSIONATA Luis Valença Rodrigues impressively revealsthe skill and dexterity of the Lusitano horse, recapturing thepresentations that were made to the kings of Portugal in theeighteenth century. The versatility of the horse is presented ina number of disciplines.

In 2003, at the International Festival of the Lusitano he wasappointed by the APSL (Portuguese Association of theLusitano) as one of their best riders and the Royal PortugueseSchool consecrated him the honorary title of ‘Master’.

The ground-breaking Stud of Luis Valença Rodrigues, the“Centro Equestre de Leziria Grande” at Vila Franca, ispioneering in the training of horse and rider. It has establisheda reputation as one of the most impressive tourist attractions inthe world of Lusitanos.

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HE LUSITANO THROUGHOUT THE AGES

The Lusitano is the most ancient and most versatilehorse in the world. He has been labelled “Son of the

Wind” owing to his prompt responses and flexibility in handling.

Present in all four corners of the globe he is at the origin ofmany different breeds. The Lusitano remains to this day acharacteristic element of our culture and our ancestraltraditions.

His existence can be traced back to 1700 BC as shown by theremains of portraits in the “Escoural” caves in the Alentejoregion and has remained with us ever since.

Obedient and easily manageable he became indispensable to

In 1836 he paid his last tribute to King Michael who six yearsprior had founded The School of Veterinary Science in hishonour. Furthermore, he watched the rise and fall of Liberalismand was ever present in the implementation of the Republic.

Throughout the centuries it was possible for breeders to refinethe race rendering it unique and incomparable. Tributes weremade to the Lusitano in the form of paintings by the finestartists and statues were put up in his honour in the mainsquares of all the great cities. He accompanied the growth ofcivilisation as man’s inseparable companion.

the 7th century men of the “Lusitania”, aiding them in resistingthe Moors and the laying down of the oldest state in Europe –Portugal.

During the 13th century, the thoroughbred, the fastest horse inthe world, originated in England. This came about whenPrincess Catherine, daughter of King John IV of Portugalmarried King Charles II of England. She carried in her boat notonly the bases of the future British Empire but also thePortuguese Royal Mares who together with Oriental horses(Arabic, Turkish, Berbere) created this fine English breed.

The Lusitano then went on to accompany us during the gloriousdiscoveries of the 15th Century – one need only mention Vascoda Gama – and later on resisted the French invasions.

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However, time went by, man evolved with him came progressand the development of technology bringing about faster andmore effective means of communication. At the same time themechanisation of the army rendered his utility redundant.Furthermore, a higher emphasis was put on technique and thisrace was gradually replaced by another type of horse – theAthlete – prepared for competitions, resistant, combining bothspeed and power. Nevertheless, the Lusitano got its “secondwind” with equestrian art in which man, together with this noblebrute can perform exercises of rare beauty.

Thus today our Lusitano is sought after and appreciated, the artof riding him defying all the boundaries of pleasure. One caneven say that the Lusitano and Equestrian Art are the mostprecious BINOMIAL God has created/united.

And so one has followed his path throughout history. At timeshe was used in battles or for pure pleasure; at others aiding inagricultural labour and as a means of communication betweenpeoples. All of this breed’s potentials are still used by us andhe is the King of Equestrian art, almost like a statue in motion,maintaining alive the culture and tradition of our people.

It was not until the 1960’s that this horse went beyond ourfrontiers, being put on display in Europe, America and later inAsia and Australia by the genie of Nuno de Oliveira and thepersonality of Sommer d’Andrade, a connaisseur with a taste forperfection. They imposed on the equestrian world the potentialof the saddle horse, his tame temperament, the ease andpleasure in handling him. The Lusitano was quickly put on apedestal when compared to other races created specifically forsport who are mighty but lacking in sensibility, possess greatstrength but are harsh to mount.

ULLFIGHTING

The tradition of bullfighting is well kept in Portugal.Thus one of the objectives of perfecting the Lusitano

was to make it faster. This was not so it could escape the bull,rather it meant he could mislead it, break it, master it and hailit. It is the so-called Quarteio on horseback.

In the Iberian Peninsula as a whole, this horse is notsurprisingly called the “Iberian” horse but in Spain it isdesignated as Andaluz and in Portugal as Lusitano. Having thesame origins and various similarities, what distinguishes thesetwo breeds are the selection criteria. Not used in bullfights,other requisites are demanded of the Andaluz and he is chosen

have started to appreciate the qualities and potential of a horsethat has been around for thousands of years and was alreadyworshipped by the ancient Greeks.

for his flare and beauty. He is essentially a leisure horse. Hisback is longer and he is often used in popular Spanish festivalswhere his owner will carry the ladies on the croup. TheLusitano however is chosen for his functional purposes. Withthe bullfight tradition very much alive in Portugal, we have bredour horse in an even more attentive way so as to adapt himsuperbly to this art. He possesses muscular strength and hasthe capacity for abrupt stops and starts.

In 1997, competing with the world’s most distinguished races,the Lusitano was world champion in attelage.

He has maintained the same presence in the bullfighting arena,where he is the crowds’ delight. He has also started to make hispresence in international dressage competitions. The judges

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hat is Dressage?

Dressage comes from the French word "training" and"deportment" and is both an art and sport combined.

It describes the process of schooling a horse to respondobediently and effortlessly to it's rider's commands. I hope youenjoy this page and get a better understanding of dressage. Onemore thing- if you get only one thing out of this, let it be thatdressage is not a snob squad!

It is a pleasure to watch a horse perform with such beauty,grace and finesse.

hat Dressage Is

Dressage is a system of training where the horseand rider work together as one. It is the systematic,

gymnastic development of the horse and is a program ofsuppling, balancing and obedience work. Natural paces andabilities, which a horse will sometimes display at pasture, aredeveloped and built on to create more difficult movements.These range from simple patterns and circles to extremecollection such as piaffe.

ow Dressage Began

At the time of wars, soldiers were required to train theirhorses (called cavalry horses) to respond to leg and

seat aids in order for them to carry weapons while riding. Manyof the leading soldiers, or officers, knew how to train a horseextremely well. They became important instructors and handeddown their knowledge of training. The French were especiallygood at this and named it "dressage". The word "dressage" isnow used in all languages around the world.

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urpose Of Dressage

The purpose of dressage is to get a horse moving freelyand in natural balance. To create a more alert, supple

and responsive animal.

ressage Training

There are six goals when it comes to training a horse indressage: rhythm, contact, suppleness, collection,

straightness and impulsion. You must gradually enable the horse tocarry more of his own and rider's weight over his hindquarters thanover his forehand. When you get him coming from behind like this,it will create lighter forehand and a horse that is much easier to steerand stop.

ressage Competitions

In competition, horses perform tests which reflect themovements used in schooling and determine the

horse's correct progress toward goals such as suppleness,balance and obedience. Dressage tests are from the Basiclevels, which are ridden in a twenty by forty meter ring, up toGrand Prix level tests, which are ridden in the larger twenty bysixty sized ring. Competitive dressage is much like figureskating in a way that it requires movements and gaits to bepreformed in certain sequences. Judges will mark eachmovement on a scale from one to ten (one=not preformedten=excellent) and give the test a total score.

ovements Of Dressage

There are three basic gaits in dressage: walk, trot andcanter. Each one can be preformed in either extended,

lengthened, working (regular), collected or medium. Circlesinclude 10, 15 and 20 meters, where voltes are eight meters orless. Lateral movements include shoulder-in, travers, renvers, legyields, and half-passes, all which test the horses ability torespond to the riders legs. Some other movements are diagonals,serpentines, center lines, flying changes- the horse changes theleg he is leading with in the canter, tempi changes- flying changesat certain intervals (for example every four strides), pirouettes-thehorse will pivot around his hind legs, passage- an elevated trotwhich makes the horse appear to be floating, and piaffe-the mostcollected movement where the horse will trot on the spot.

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ezíria Grande Riding Center

(Centro Equestre da Lezíria Grande - CELG)

Located in Vila Franca de Xira, an unpolluted regionnotorious for its horse breeding, the CELG has been specificallycreated bearing in mind the horse and all activities related tohim. Thus the variety of the CELG’s infrastructures has beencarefully studied so as to blend the horse riding activities intoits beautiful surroundings.

Over the years, the CELG has become a true landmark of theequestrian heritage by the training of both horses and students.It has maintained the spark and spirit of the early days provingthat loving horses is well worth it!

One fine example of the name and fame individual horses havecreated for themselves is definitely SULTAO. This fine Palominowith his distinct character and way of carrying himself is the ex-libris of the CELG. For years he has been the attraction andcalling card of the Valença family. Since 1994, his debut year atthe “Horse and Pony International Salon” in Paris, SULTÃO hasachieved an unmatched curriculum. He is a true Globe Trotterof riding, his presence requested yearly in the main Europeanequestrian events. The thousands of visitors to the CELG havemade him the most sought after element of this unique ridingcentre. He is certainly a worthwhile sight.

Operative since 1983, and having begun in 1985 the novelmodality “Equestrian Tourism”, the CELG is not only anequestrian school dedicated to the traditional Portuguese artbut is also a leisure centre open to nationals and foreigners.It promotes rural events lightened up by country-men onhorseback, as well as by the rhythm and vivacity of folk musicand dances. The highlight of these events is however theEquestrian Festival, a tribute to the horse in a splendidDressage demonstration, illustrating his uses throughout theXVIII century. Here the Lusitano’s potential is shown alongsidethe various cultural aspects related to the art of horse ridingsuch as costumes, harnesses, adornments and all else that hasfor generations united man and horse.

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questrian Gala at CELG

Our show’s purpose is to promote the Lusitano Horse,its main actor, as well as to promote the Traditional

Equestrian Art in a moment of beauty and history, laid deepwithin our culture and tradition.

It is that romantic splendour that the CELG, under Master LuisValença’s guidance has been exhibiting with his shows atnational and international level. In them, one will find an arrayof displays beyond the classic rigour of ‘Dressage” theunpredictability of horseback bullfighting or the effort ofequestrian competitions. They heighten the noble equestrian artto the realm of fantasy in a diversity of choreographed numberswith matching music and costumes in which one can count onthe participation of 10/12 horses and 8/10 riders.

It is not, however, a mere historical reconstruction of the PicariaReal. Rather, it is to depict in a show that which has fortunatelyremained among us in a popular way – the Lusitano Horse. TheLusitano is considered the oldest and noblest companion ofMan in Equestrian Art – which reached its height in the 18thCentury. From that period of sheer magnificence we haveinherited a splendour still present in the art of riding – both interms of costume and knowledge.

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PASSIONATA

the greatest horse spectacular in the world.

Thirty-three stallions and one mare, all from some of Europe’smost famous riding centres, will take part in this equestrianextravaganza. APASSIONATA has presented five of the royalbaroque horse breeds in a breathtaking show. DancingAndalusians, fiery Arabians, powerful Friesians, elegantLipizzaners and royal Lusitanos from five countries havedemonstrated the perfect classical horsemanship that has beenthe wonder of Europe for many centuries.

• The Portuguese riding champion and Grand Signeur ofbreeding and training, Luis Valenca, will present the Lusitanosfrom his ‘Centro Equestre da Leziria Grande’.

• Former Belgium Grand Prix rider, Celine Willms, who was oneof the main attractions at the Royal Windsor Show to mark theQueen’s Golden Jubilee, rides the Lipizzaner ‘Pegaso’.

• The Friesians are from the Royal Register of Netherlands,while the Andalusians come from the ‘Centro EcuestreArtequus’ of Miguel Barrionuevo in Spain.

• The Arabians are ridden by the true masters of stunt riding,Chkimbo and Kiki Reda from Morocco.

PASSIONATA

promises pure entertainment for all the family. As wellas opera singers and fiery flamenco dancers, in his UK

premiere has featured stunt riding, classical dressage, pas dedeux and quadrilles. Even the mythical horse Pegasus hasmake an appearance! From Arabian desert scenes to simulatedIberian bullfights, from the noble court of imperial Vienna toSpanish cowboys performing elegant dances with their‘garrochas’ or long poles, APASSIONATA demonstrates perfectcollaboration between man and horse.

PASSIONATA

horses are the most beautiful examples of their breed,hailing from the top riding centres in Europe.

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erits and Achievements

1974 > Obtained the 1st planning permission to build a ridingand training centre for tourism purposes.

Feb. 1975 mid 1977 > In Spain, specialised in the organisationand orientation of tourist groups.

Mestre Picador of the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art

Owner and Technical Manager of the CELG (Centro Equestreda Lezíria Grande Lda. - Vila Franca de Xira)

Advisor for the Municipal Tourist Board of Vila Franca de Xira

1996 until 2002 > Technical Manager of the 'Royal Horse Gala'a group of 4 academies with approximately 40 horses and20 riders, aiming at the promotion of the Baroque horse

Technical Advisor for the A. P. S. L.

Member of the Equestrian Directing Board of the FEPPortuguese Equestrian Federation

16.02.1998 > Mestre de Equitação, "Riding Master" certified bythe IEF (International Equestrian Federation - n. 271)

May 1998 > Awarded a Medal of Municipal Merit by the TownHall of Vila Franca de Xira

November 2000 > Golegã - Trophy 'Revista Equitação' for 'HipicCentres'

Technical Director of the Equestrian Art and Tourist CentreAcademy 'The Horseshoe Point Resort and Country Club" inPattaya, Bangkok, Thailand.

November 2001 > Golegã - 'Career Trophy'

August 2002 > Awarded the Title of 'Patron' of the EquestrianShow Academy of Versailles.

June 2003 > In the 15th Edition of the International Festival ofthe Thoroughghbred Lusitanian Horse, that took place in theHippodrome of Campo Grande, Lisbon, his wife and himwere the Honorary Presidents and considered the greatambassadors of this strain.During this festival a Tribute to him was made with thepresence of almost 60 riders – former students.He was also awarded the title of "Honorary Member of thePortuguese School of Equestrian Art".

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