Picture this: You’re in Belgium, headed for a competition in France. You’re waiting for the horse van to pick up the seven horses you’ve brought with you. You’re waiting. And waiting. The driver never shows. Most people would be frantically punching numbers into their phone, trying to find a new driver. But the Mirabal family was able to rely on an Olympic gold medalist to make the trip. Their trainer Rodrigo Pessoa took over driving duties, and one and all made it to the show on time. “Rodrigo drove all the way there with the horses and his daughter Cecelia. The same thing happened in Monte Carlo! It’s fantastic to be able to count on a professional like Rodrigo—he is ready for everything,” said G&C Farm owner Gustavo Mirabal. Being prepared is something that the Mirabals of G&C Farm spent months planning for as they sent horses to Europe, and up and down the East Coast of the United States, from their home base in Florida this summer.
The by Laura Cardon
TWO TEAMS, TWO CONTINENTS
How G&C Farm managed two competitive show teams thousands of miles apart
Fielding two teams of competitive riders on separate continents may sound like a logistical undertaking too daunting for most, but for Mirabal, it was just another summer on the show jumping circuit. “I was never worried about G&C showing on two continents,” Mirabal said. “G&C Farm is a very organized company, and I’m lucky to work with all of the people that keep the business running. I always know everything will be okay.” The network of help utilized by G&C is both expansive and highly organized. Its U.S.A. base is in Wellington, Florida, and is led by Iveth Landa and Carlos Mirabal, who work around the clock with the help of barn manager Manuel Machillanda and trainer Luis Miguel Martinez. Overseas, G&C Farm takes advantage of Rodrigo Pessoa’s headquarters in Belgium as well as trainer and rider Gustavo Arroyo’s base in France. As the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival began to wind down last April, Gustavo Mirabal sat down with Rodrigo Pessoa to map out
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