DressageDaily: Pan-Am Games Silver Medalist Cesar Parra Wins Five of Six FEI Classes at First Two Florida Shows

Saturday, February 22, 2002

Pan-Am Games Silver Medalist Cesar Parra Wins Five of Six FEI Classes at First Two Florida Shows

Cesar Parra and Pik L Wellington, FL—2003 has started out with a bang for Columbian dressage rider Dr. Cesar Parra. Riding Horses Unlimited’s imported Hanoverian stallion Pik-L, Dr. Parra won five of six FEI classes at the first two highly contested Florida dressage shows, including victory in the Intermediaire Freestyle at Wellington Dressage with a score of 72.417%.

The pair has only been together for ten months, but has quickly solidified their partnership. “Riding Pik-L is very special. He thinks like a winner and is very consistent,” Dr. Parra said of the bay stallion. “He has three very good gaits and his tempi-changes and half-passes are marvelous.” The judges have agreed; the duo has been consistently scoring in the ‘70s at Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire 1.

Dr. Parra intends to aim Pik-L for the Pan-American Games and hopes to repeat or improve on his Silver Medal performance at the 1999 Games. “I love this sport so much and I have been working really hard on continuing to improve,” Dr. Parra said. The USDF Gold Medalist has spent time training in Germany and has worked with some of the most respected trainers in the world including Herbert Rehbein and Hans Rubens. Dr. Parra’s appearance at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain has only spurred him on in his quest to be among the best riders in the world.

Originally trained as a dentist, Dr. Parra has instead devoted his life to the pursuit of perfection in the saddle. He said, “I finally had to give in to my love for horses.” Now splitting his time between New Jersey, Florida, and Germany, Dr. Parra has a thriving business of horses in training as well as a loyal following of young riders and amateurs.