Release date: 11/07/2011 |    

A riders' ultimate quest is to reach the top of the sport. Forty one year old Luciana Diniz, (pictured left) who rides under the Portugal flag, has been at the top of the sport for quite some years.

Not only one of the world’s leading riders, she is a crowd favourite at most events.  Luciana is a stylish rider who aims for perfectionism as well as exuding enthusiasm for her horse’s good performances.

The ups and downs of the sport of show jumping never dampen her enthusiasm and she believes staying at the top comes from consistency and the pursuit of excellence.

Luciana’s Global Champions Tour at this point in the 2011 season is testimony to this.

Success started at the first leg of the Global Champions Tour (GCT) in Doha, Qatar where she placed 4^th with Lennox(pictured below).  Three fences down for the pair at GCT Valencia in the first round of the Grand Prix  saw her lowest score to date placing 37^th.  At the third leg in Hamburg, Luciana and Lennox had four faults in each round finally resting in 17^th place.

Luciana and Lennox redeemed in Cannes placing 7^th overall and a move up the GCT ranking ladder to 5^th place.  Lennox was then rested and Winningmood  became Luciana’s choice ride for Monaco placing 8^thand also for Estori where they were runner up in the Grand Prix of Portugal.

Luciana, now sitting in 3^rd place in the GCT Rankings heading into Chantilly (the 7^th leg of the 10 round series), plans to compete in as many of the remaining Global Champions Tour events this year.

In between rounds of the Global Champions Tour, Luciana has been kept very busy with her plans to move to her new property in Bonn, Germany and has kindly taken a moment for a quick interview with GCT.

Q: You have competed on eac of the Global Champions Tour legs this season with tremendous successes, to be sitting in 3^rd place in the GCT Rankings heading into Chantilly. What are your plans for the rest of the GCT rounds this season?

LD: My plans for the rest of the year in the GCT, is to keep my results constant in the top placements. It’s very nice that I am 3rd place now in the overall GCT rankings and I am very happy.

Although I could have been even better if I would have been perfect in the 2nd round of the GCT Monaco Grand Prix, where there was no double clear.  And then there was the last fence in Hamburg at the 2nd round that cost me also a lot of money and GCT ranking points.

My sport goal for the next year is the Olympic Games in London, therefore I have to be very well qualified in the ranking list and I am working for it.

Pictured Above: Luciana riding Winningmood in the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Portugal in 2011where they finished in 2nd place.

Q: You rode in front of your ‘home’ supporting crowd at the Global Champions Tour in Estoril, Portugal. How much influence does that assist in helping the performance on the day?

LD: It's a very special feeling to ride in your own country. The public is with you and you feel the power and the emotions. I love riding in Estoril, it’s a very special. I also loved to ride in Brazil, Rio or Sao Paulo which have all been very good GCT events.

Q: You rode jumpers and dressage horses growing up. Was it a natural progression to be a professional rider?

LD: I rode since I was very young competing first in dressage then jumping.

My whole family was involved in horses, my mother rode dressage and my father polo, so since I was still a baby, I was already in love with horses. I have been in the top sport for many years and I am glad for it.

Q; What are the important components necessary to stay at the top of the sport?

LD: It's very important to have good horses, good owners, good sponsors and a top team that runs the whole system, especially the grooms that are the best friends of the horses and give them their love every day and make them feel special.

I am very lucky to be able to count on the support of my family and Edouard de Rothschild who is the owner of Winningmood and some other horses I have ridden in the past.  In fact, Edouard has been a great support in my career and sponsored me through all the last few years.  I am pleased with the association with my sponsor, the Banque Prive Espirito Santo.

To stay at the top sport you need all of the above and one more important component... the enthusiasm!

Q: Jumping riders can be cool and objective to their horses and performances.  Do you get attached to the horses you are riding and how much does the relationship formed play in success?

LD: I love my horses and develop with them a friendship, so we help each other grow. I can only be successful when I love what I do and I love the horses and the competitions. I have a very special relationship and connection with my two top horses Winningmood and Lennox right now.

Picture below: Luciana and Lennox competing in the Grand Prix of Cannes where they placed 7th overall.

I was also was very close with Dover, Meautrys Locarno, Suzie Quatro, Son of Marco, Lordon and others that kept me there all these years. I need to love their eyes, their character and some small details that are for me important. Horses are my life. So, my children and my horses are my family and this makes me very happy.

Winningmood will do everything for me, and I know and feel that!  He gives me confidence that we can go anywhere and when we are perfect, we can win. I trust him.

Lennox is a big baby, and he needs still some time to grow and mature in his mind and body. I give him my love and the confidence that he can do it!  He trusts me. I love both of them and they love me as well.

Riding is a perfectionism sport, to win we need to do our best and get the best out of us at the right moment. Horse riding provides us with the opportunity to know more about ourselves and make experiences to grow for a happy life.

Q: How do you mix your business activities with your riding? Describe a typical week.

LD: My week is always divided between riding in the morning, then office work and in the afternoon time is spent with my children and their activities and Grow.

Right now I have a lot to do in my new house I bought for a change of life. I will sell my dream property in Osnabruck and will start a new phase of my life in Bonn. Every change is always very positive and I am looking forward to it.  My aim is to be in the top 3 in the GCT Grand Prix in Chantilly.

Q: Do you have any exciting youngsters in the pipelines?

LD: I have no youngster coming up...I think I will retired with these two horses....and then to really work on my Grow project for a better world and quality of life.

Photo credits: Stefano Grasso/GCT