That's a Wrap on GAT Portugal 2026 🇵🇹
What a way to finish an incredible week in Portugal.
Our very first European Competition Tour has come to a close in Esposende, and what a week it was. Borrowed horses, new challenges, plenty of learning, a few lightbulb moments and a lot of laughs along the way. From a street race around Porto to podium finishes on international soil, our GAT Portugal riders packed a lifetime of memories into just a few short days.
Here is how it all unfolded.
Building Partnerships Before the Arena
The team kicked things off GAT-style with a race around the beautiful city of Porto. Riders from Australia, Argentina, Bermuda, South Africa, the UK and the USA took on a series of challenges across the city, tracking down Porto's most iconic spots along the way, from the cathedral and Bolhão Market to the famous Dom Luís I Bridge. There was plenty of Portuguese culture packed in too, with sardines, cod and, of course, a little Port tasting, before the whole group cruised down the Douro for a sunset boat party. A pretty great way to start the week!
Day one of training brought the moment every rider waits for on the Global Amateur Tour - meeting their equine teammate for the week ahead. On this tour our riders compete on quality, borrowed sport horses, which means learning to work with a brand new partner from the ground up. They jumped straight into two sessions focused on getting to know their horses, finding the buttons and building confidence together before putting it all into practice over some jumping lines.
Guiding every session was Swedish Grand Prix showjumper and trainer Anna Lindberg. With impressive horses and fantastic facilities to train in, there was plenty for our riders to take away from a very productive start to the week.
There has been so much more happening than just jumping fences. Midweek the team even swapped showjumps for cobbled streets, heading off to explore the medieval city of Guimarães, known as the birthplace of Portugal. It was the perfect chance to wander the historic streets, soak up a little Portuguese history and, of course, hunt down a few local treats along the way, including the famous Portuguese tart!
Competition Time
And our riders hit the ground running, with some fantastic rounds and plenty of podium placings.
Day One
🇳🇿 Tahlia Trang: 5th, 90cm
🇫🇷 Fleur Granier-Deferre: 3rd, 80cm
Day Two
🇳🇿 Simone Sorensen: 5th, 1.20m
🇳🇿 Tahlia Trang: 🥇 1st, 1m
🇿🇦 Joné Groenewald: 🥈 2nd, 1m
🇦🇷 Javier Lopez: 🥈 2nd, 90cm
🇫🇷 Fleur Granier-Deferre: 🥇 1st, 80cm
Finishing on a High
Then came the final day of competition, and our riders saved some of their best for last, wrapping things up with two fantastic podium results.
🥈 1.20m: Simone Sorensen and Bilius put in another brilliant performance, jumping clear and fast to finish in 2nd place.
🥇 90cm: Fleur Granier-Deferre and Galante took the win, made even more special by the fact that this was Fleur's very first 90cm class.
With our riders finished, it was our turn to sit back and watch the pros take centre stage for the Grand Prix. Our GAT trainer Anna Lindberg produced a fantastic clear round, with just a couple of time penalties sadly keeping her out of the jump-off, before Portugal's Rodrigo Almeida went on to take the Grand Prix win in front of the home crowd.
We finished our final evening together with a beautiful farewell dinner overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, reminiscing over a week filled with horses, training, competition, sightseeing, plenty of laughs and some pretty unforgettable moments.
It is always bittersweet saying goodbye, our riders arrived from all corners of the world and leave with new friendships, incredible memories and one very special GAT family. ❤️
A huge thank you to our incredible trainer Anna Lindberg and the entire team at Hipico do Norte, who helped make this week so special. We could not have asked for a better group of people, or horses, to share this experience with.
Could This Be You in 2027? 🌍
If you have been reading along thinking "I want to do that," then here is the good news. We are doing it all again in 2027!
⭐ GAT Portugal Training & Competition Tour 2027 ⭐
Applications are now officially open. All ages and levels are welcome, and no, you do not need to bring your own horse. Come train with a Grand Prix showjumper, compete on a quality sport horse, explore a beautiful corner of Portugal and experience the adventure for yourself.
27 August to 6 September 2027 | Esposende Portugal
And if it is the competition arena that is really calling you, we have another one on the horizon.
GAT Mexico Competition Tour 2027 🇲🇽
Caught the competition bug watching our Portugal riders? Our sights are already set on Puebla for another chance to test yourself at a CSI 2-star international show, this time in the heart of Latin America.
📅 27 May to 7 June 2027 ⏳ Early bird pricing closes 31 October 2026
➡️ Discover more or:
Where will GAT take you in 2027? ✈️
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