Loxahatchee, FL (March 9, 2015) – Zepelim Interagro and Pia Aragão were victorious in the Grand Prix at the Welcome Back to White Fences I show in Loxahatchee, Florida, earning a 71.300 percent to claim the win. They bested their score from the previous week at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, where they placed second in the FEI Grand Prix on Feb. 22. Their partnership is blossoming and the pair is poised to continue impressing the judges.

Zepelim Interagro is an 11-year-old stallion (Quinárius Interagro-Ordenada Interagro, Yacht) whose sire is by the famous Xique-Xique, a Gold Medal Champion in Portugal, and whose dam is by Yacht, the son of the foundation stallion of the Andrade line. Interagro Lusitanos, based in Itapira, Brazil, is the largest breeder of Lusitano horses in the world.

Aragão came to the U.S. with three Interagro Lusitanos in order to prepare them for the international arena. Zepelim is proving that he will be a horse to be reckoned with when he returns to Brazil.

“This is what I came for and what is necessary for him to be competitive with others in Brazil with the Pan American Games and the Olympics coming up,” she said. “One week ago he competed in his first Grand Prix and he was not as relaxed as he was this weekend. I felt him to be much more mature after just one week and I was very pleased with him.”

She attributes this change in attitude to the character of the Lusitano horse. “They are so ambitious,” she said. “And I love the elegance of the Lusitano horses.”

She entered the horses in national shows to build their confidence without pressure and, in a few weeks, they will step out into the international arena. She was impressed to see the new arena at the Global Dressage Festival. “It’s so important that we have a place like this to compete at on the American continent,” Aragão said.

Another Interagro horse competing in South Florida is Baldor Interagro (Ofensor MV- Quinata Interagro, Xique-Xique), a 9-year-old Lusitano stallion. He and Aragão dominated the FEI Prix St Georges at the Global Dressage Festival National Show just a week earlier. At the Welcome Back to White Fences I show, Baldor Interagro and Aragão earned second place in the Prix St. Georges.

Vade-Mecum Interagro, a 13-year-old gelding from the Xique-Xique and Yacht lines (Noblissimo Interagro-Pecunia Interagro, Yacht), also made the journey from Brazil. The gelding placed first in the Grand Prix Freestyle and second in the Grand Prix at the Expo Lusitano CDI3* in São Paulo, Brazil, in October.

Interagro horses will compete at the Global Dressage Festival throughout the month of March, treating spectators to an opportunity to see the traits of these horses in action at one of the world’s richest and most competitive dressage circuits.

The Interagro horse epitomizes the modern Lusitano, a horse that excels in the traditional equestrian disciplines, from dressage and driving to jumping and working equitation. Interagro is committed to preserving the pure bloodlines of the Lusitano breed, and its own bloodlines include some of the most respected of the breed: Faraó (JHC), Nirvana Interagro, Ofensor (MV), Xique-Xique (CI) and Yacht (SA).

Interagro remains one of the most accessible and respected breeders in the world, and their unique Destination Lusitano program offers interested clients an opportunity to stay at the farm in Brazil and immerse themselves in the Lusitano breed and culture. Destination Lusitano offers the opportunity to ride across the rolling Brazilian countryside or enjoy it from a carriage pulled by a four-in-hand of Lusitano stallions. It is also an opportunity to watch the horses in their daily training sessions, take a lesson on a prospective horse and meet the living pedigree of generations of Lusitano horses. Destination Lusitano is an opportunity to purchase the horse of your dreams while enjoying the journey of a lifetime.

About Interagro Lusitanos

Founded in 1975 by Dr. Paulo Gavião Gonzaga to preserve the breed, Interagro Lusitanos is the world’s largest breeder and exporter of Lusitano horses. Dr. Gonzaga started with four mares and one stallion imported to Brazil from the breed’s native Portugal; to date more than 450 horses populate the 1200-acre ranch outside São Paulo. Today, Cecilia Gonzaga manages the farm and operations. To learn more, email interagro@interagro.com, or please visit www.interagro.com.br.

Please click here, http://lusitano-interagro.com/Zepelim2010.htm, to see Zepelim Interagro’s bloodlines and show record. To learn more about Baldor Interagro, click here: http://lusitano-interagro.com/baldor.htm. Please go to http://lusitano-interagro.com/Vade_Mecum2010.htm, to see Vade-Mecum Interagro’s impressive show record and lineage.

Photo: Zepelim Interagro and Pia Aragão win the Grand Prix at the Welcome Back to White Fences I show in Loxahatchee, Florida, with a 71.300 percent (Photo courtesy of Interagro Lusitanos)