Calgary, AB, Canada – September 13, 2010 – Pablo Barrios and G&C Farm had a very strong finish to summer competition at the Spruce Meadows Champions Welcome and Masters Tournaments on September 2-12, 2010. G&C Farm is based in Wellington, FL, and owned by Gustavo and Carolina Mirabal of Venezuela. Barrios, who competes for Venezuela, is also based in Wellington. With such a solid showing experience at one of the best venues in the world, G&C Farm and Barrios are prepared to compete next at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) and represent Venezuela.

The Winner’s Circle in Canada

Barrios started out the second week, the Masters CSI 5*, with a big win in the International Ring in the $31,000 AKITA Drilling Cup -1.50M on G&C LaGran, owned by Barrios and G&C Farm. The pair were one of 12 in the jump-off and came home double clear with the fastest time for the win.

G&C LaGran, an 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Lancer II x Grannus, returned to the winner’s circle on the second day of the Masters in the $40,000 ATCO Structures & Logistics Cup – 1.50M.

Barrios and G&C LaGran

“For LaGran, we had a plan for all year for him to get him ready for the WEG,” Barrios said. “We used him a lot in Europe. He’s become so much better, and his endurance is much better. He feels very fit, and he’s really jumping well. His results showed the program has worked. He only did three classes and he won two. I’m very happy with him.”

Earlier in the year, Barrios won the $175,000 Nexen Cup Derby, the first major class at Spruce Meadows. “It was nice to win again in the International Ring, especially at the Masters,” he remarked. “There were top riders there. It was a good feeling to win the very first class there. It means a lot to us to be in the top there, and then to repeat the next day was very nice!”

Gustavo Mirabal stated, “To be at Spruce Meadows again was great, and to show and experience the Masters was wonderful. The best horses and riders in the world are there. Winning four classes this week was amazing. It demonstrated that our escuderia is still strong, no matter where we show.”

“Winning in the International Ring twice and hearing the Venezuelan anthem was very emotional,” Mirabal expressed. “I want to thank the Southern family for their hospitality during the event. It is always great jumping at Spruce Meadows, and winning is a lot better!”

Barrios won his third class of the week in the $25,000 AON Risk Services Jumper – 1.40M with G&C Blanchee Z, a nine-year-old BWP mare by Utrillo van de Heffinck x Darco. G&C Blanchee Z and Barrios won yet another class in the $25,000 Phillips, Hager & North Cup – 1.40M.

“She came back very well after a small injury at the beginning of the summer,” Barrios said of Blanchee. “She was really consistent in the 1.40m. I’m looking forward to indoors with her. We’ll be taking LaGran to WEG, and then Quick Star, Sinatra, and Blanchee will do the indoor tour. We want to qualify for World Cup Finals. We’ve done Tampa and Sinatra showed in Charlotte, and I think Blanchee will be good indoors with the way she rides. She could do well in the Puissance too.”

Other strong results for the week included fifth in the $50,000 CANA Cup – 1.60M for G&C Sinatra (owned by Barrios and G&C Farm) and fifth in the $50,000 ATCO Electric Circuit – Six Bar class for G&C Tropigold. Pablo Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11 were fourth in the $75,000 BP Cup – 1.50M Speed class, and to wrap up Spruce Meadows Masters, Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11 were fifth in the $50,000 Suncor Energy Cup 1.50M.

In the opening Champions Welcome Tournament week, Barrios and G&C Tropigold won the $2,500 Friends of the Meadows Jumper – 1.40M. A great up-and-coming horse, G&C Tropigold also finished second in the $2,500 Friends of the Meadows Welcome – 1.40M and fifth in the $5,000 Friends of the Meadows Parcours de Chasse – 1.40M.

In the $10,000 Friends of the Meadows Welcome – 1.50M, G&C Napoleon was third and G&C Blanchee Z was sixth. In the 1.50M, Pablo and G&C Quick Star 11 were third, and G&C Sinatra was 11th in the $5,000 Friends of the Meadows Mini Grand Prix – 1.30M.

Mirabal noted, “G&C LaGran jumped amazing, and he is ready for the WEG. G&C Blanchee Z is coming back and was very strong, and G&C Quick Star 11 was very consistent in the 1.50m speed classes. This week was very important for the G&C team because Pablo earned important point on the ROLEX FEI ranking and should be very close to the top 30. We are now concentrated on WEG and we will attack strong at the indoor shows to qualify for the FEI World Cup Finals in 2011.”

Looking to WEG and Beyond

Overall, Barrios was very pleased with the G&C Farm results these past two weeks. “We’re looking to move up in the ROLEX rankings. We got nice points these two weeks in Calgary, so hopefully in the next list we’ll be very close to the top 30,” he said.

Pablo Barrios will represent Venezuela at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in early October. For the first time in history, Venezuela will send a team to WEG. Joining Barrios will be Andres Rodriguez and Loisse Garcia. Leopoldo Palacios will serve as the team’s Chef d’Equipe.

“It’s great to have a team for WEG,” Barrios said. “In another way, it’s good for me because I’ve always been as an individual and had to show in the first group. Now, as part of a team and as the anchor rider, I’ll go much later in the class and have more opportunity to watch the class and set a plan better for each course. I think it will be a big help for these Games.

Barrios will bring G&C LaGran and G&C Quick Star 11 to the WEG, but plans to show G&C LaGran. “A team can bring five horses, and since we only have three riders, I can bring two horses,” Barrios explained. “Quick Star will be a spare horse just in case something happens.”

Following the WEG, G&C Farm will continue the fall season indoors and compete at the World Cup qualifiers in Harrisburg, PA, Washington, D.C., Syracuse, NY, and Toronto, in hopes of qualifying for the 2011 FEI World Cup Finals in Leipzig, Germany. After those shows, tentative plans include the Brussels and Paris CSI 5* indoor shows and possibly the CSI 4*-W show in Doha, Qatar in December.

Please visit www.farmgc.com for more information on G&C Farm, their riders, and their horses. You can also find out more by visiting the G&C Farm page on Facebook or follow G&C Farm on Twitter.

G&C Farm brings exceptional horses and top Venezuelan jumper riders to the highest levels of competition. Their state-of-the-art, full-service facility is located in Wellington, FL.

The vision of G&C Farm is to improve the instruction and training of their top jumper riders and horses in order to seek a place on the Venezuelan team for all high level tournaments and top competitions, including the World Equestrian Games and Olympic Games. G&C Farm sponsors top grand prix rider Pablo Barrios of Venezuela, as well as other up and coming riders. The technical advisor at G&C Farm is Olympic Games course designer Leopoldo Palacios.

For more information on G&C Farm, please visit www.farmgc.com.

Photo Credit: Pablo Barrios and G&C LaGran had two major wins during the Spruce Meadows Masters CSI 5*. Photo © Cansport Photo Ltd. These photos may only be used in relation to this press release and with full photo credit.