Dr. Jorge Gomez  Joins the G&C Farm Team

Calgary, AB, Canada – July 14, 2010 – G&C Farm finished their summer tour at Spruce Meadows with the North American Tournament on July 7-11, 2010. There were strong finishes throughout the week from the G&C riders, and the $50,000 G&C Farm Rider’s Cup was decided. G&C Farm, owned by Gustavo and Carolina Mirabal of Venezuela, is based in Wellington, FL.

G&C Farm was a generous sponsor at this year’s Spruce Meadows Tournaments, including raising prize money in classes that were in danger of losing their ROLEX world ranking points. They also added the new $50,000 G&C Farm Rider’s Cup, which rewarded the top three riders of the summer tournaments for their consistency. The first place $25,000 prize went to World Number One rider Eric Lamaze of Canada, while Pablo Barrios finished second for a $15,000 bonus.  Rodrigo Pessoa finished third and took home a $10,000 bonus.

Gustavo and Carolina Mirabal award Eric Lamaze
first place in the $50,000 G&C Farm Rider’s Cup

During the final week at Spruce Meadows, the ROLEX World Rankings were announced, and G&C Farm’s Pablo Barrios moved up to #43 in the world. He rose 20 spots this month thanks to very good placings throughout the previous weeks. G&C Farm is still sitting second in the USEF Jumper Owners Rankings.

Everyone at G&C Farm enjoyed their first experience at Spruce Meadows, which provided something for everyone. Gustavo Mirabal agreed, “Spruce Meadows was a great experience. Jumping in so many difficult classes and different grass fields was good for the young horses, and it made the grand prix horses stronger.”

He added, “Winning the Nexen Cup Derby (in the first week) was amazing. Pablo rode Sinatra just perfectly in that class. They will be in the record books as one of the few who have ever gone clear in that class. Luis and Maria Emilia won multiple classes as well and learned a great deal here.”

Barrios and G&C Farm will move on to Europe now and will compete next at the Global Champions Tour in Chantilly, France.

“After competing at Spruce Meadows, I think we are ready for Europe,” Mirabal noted. “Pablo was in the top 10 in almost every class that he went in, and that helped him jump from 63 to 43 in the ROLEX rankings. We hope he can move up another 20 spots by the end of the year.”

Pablo Barrios, Ron Southern, Carolina and Gustavo Mirabal, 

and Linda Southern-Heathcott

Mirabal pointed out that that it was a great team that produced the results this summer. “I want to thank all of the G&C team that work so hard every day. I’m really proud of them.”

Mirabal also announced a new addition to the G&C Farm team, Dr. Jorge Gomez of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. “I’m very proud to have him as part of our staff,” Mirabal said.

Jorge H Gomez, MVZ, MS, Diplomate American College of Veterinary Surgeons, has been a Staff Surgeon and Sport Horse Veterinarian at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute since July 2005. He was also an Instructor in Equine Surgery and Surgery Resident at Auburn University, where he earned his Master in Biomedical Science in 2003. He was also a panelist on multiple opportunities on lameness of sport horses at The American Association of Equine Practitioners Annual Meeting.

“I’m very pleased to join the G&C Farm team,” Gomez said. “I look forward to helping keep all of the horses happy and healthy.”

Also joining the G&C Farm team is rider Maria Schaub, who will help ride horses in Europe.

Luis Larrazabal’s winning streak continued in the last week. He and Sil McCarthy won the $2,500  Trimac Junior/Amateur Welcome – 1.30m and were third in the $10,000 Friends of the Meadows Junior/Amateur Cup – 1.30m. On the final day, they won the $3,500 Coril Holdings Junior/Amateur Mini-Grand Prix – 1.30m.

Pablo Barrios and G&C Lepanto won the $13,000 Bantrel Cup – 1.45m, and Barrios had top finishes for the week. He finished sixth and seventh with G&C Lepanto and G&C Leroy (who had the fastest initial time) in the $75,000 TD Cup-1.50m, a faults converted speed class. Pablo Barrios and G&C Leroy finished second in the $7,000 ATCO I-Tek Welcome – 1.40m. In the $35,000 Kinnear Financial Cup – 1.50m, Pablo Barrios and G&C LaGran were 10th. Barrios rode G&C Flash to third in the
$12,000 Wolseley Cup – 1.45m while G&C Lepanto was 11th.

In the $75,000 Sun Life Financial Reach for the Sun – 1.50,  Barrios rode G&C LaGran to eighth place, and on G&C Sinatra, he was tenth in the $175,000 Mercedes-Benz Classic (Derby) – 1.60. Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11 recorded a clear first round to finish 12th in the $200,000 ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup – 1.60m.

Maria Emilia Mirabal and G&C Orlana were the fastest four-faulters for 12th place in the $1,000 Coril Holdings Junior Welcome – 1.20m.

G&C Farm and Pablo Barrios are traveling to Europe to compete for the rest of the summer, starting with the Global Champions Tour in Chantilly, France on July 23-25, 2010. They will return to the United States for Barrios to compete in the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY, in early October.

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: Gustavo and Carolina Mirabal present World Number One and Olympic Champion Eric Lamaze with the first G&C Rider’s Cup at Spruce Meadows. Photo courtesy of Spruce Meadows. Pablo Barrios, Ron Southern of Spruce Meadows, Carolina and Gustavo Mirabal, and Linda Southern-Heathcott of Spruce Meadows. Photo © Cansport Photo Ltd. These photos may only be used in relation to this press release and with full photo credit.