Loxahatchee, FL – April 8, 2016 – Pablo Gómez Molina has had a breakout season at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. The 22-year-old from Valencia, Spain, took first place in the Under 25 Grand Prix division at the Florida International Youth Dressage Championships with many additional top placings throughout the winter. Gómez Molina began his journey as a working student and is now in his third year riding for Yeguada de Ymas.
“Yeguada de Ymas was looking for working students,” Gómez Molina said. “They posted an advertisement in Spain. I saw it and sent a video. They called me to do a test, so I went there and I rode three horses. They liked me!”
The busy athlete begins his day at 8:00 a.m. and gets on eight to nine horses in a day. He finishes riding at around 2:30 p.m., then heads home to hit the books, as he is also studying business remotely. The Yeguada de Ymas barn houses three young riders, with Juan Matute Jr. and Natalia Bacariza riding side by side with Gómez Molina. The Ymas barn currently has 24 horses, most of which compete at the international level.
At the age of 8, Gómez Molina discovered his passion for horses. He first rode primarily for fun and didn’t see dressage becoming a profession for himself. After dedicating himself to the sport Gómez Molina is happy with how much he has developed as a rider and learned as a student.
“I used to jump,” Gómez Molina said. “I like dressage a lot. You have to be really precise, perfect and you have to work a lot on that precision. I think that’s the thing that I really like about dressage: trying to do everything perfect.”
At Welcome Back to White Fences IV, Gómez Molina brought out Harry Ymas, a 14-year-old Anglo-Arabian. The pair have been learning together for a month and a half and have been working on more difficult movements together. Gómez Molina was pleased with Harry’s first Grand Prix performance.
“He was a little fresh today,” Gómez Molina said. “He is fun to ride, because he is a little hot, but that is sometimes his downfall. I haven’t been riding him that long, so we are still trying to figure each other out.”
The highlight for Gómez Molina’s season was competing in the Under 25 Grand Prix division with Tarpan Ymas, a 16-year-old KWPN stallion. Hoping to keep building on his success, he will travel to Germany, France and then Spain in hopes of qualifying Tarpan for the FEI European Under 25 Dressage Championships.
“We are going to try to contend for the Spanish team,” Gómez Molina said. “I am headed to Europe to show with Tarpan Ymas and Lanzado de Ymas. Then the Federation is going to decide. If we continue with the scores we have been producing, we have a chance.”
Gómez Molina is thrilled with the progress that he has made in the States and the friendships he has made along the way. He looks to prove his training at shows and is excited about the summer.
“The Ymas barn is really great. They are like a family for me,” Gómez Molina said.
