Sophia's Story - The Way of St James on Mangalarga Marchadors

A life-long dream to ride the Way of St.James!

Written by Sophia Baptista de Oliveira, Haras Maripa, Brasil

For many years, my husband Marcelo has cherished the dream of riding the Saint James' Way in Spain, on his own Mangalarga Marchador horses. When he accepted the invitation from ABCCMM to join the "Projeto Vitrine do Marchador" in Europe, he promptly realized that the time had come. He would finally have the opportunity of making his old dream come true. At the time Marcelo had just turned 60 and Haras Maripá had "turned" 30 years old! Two good reasons to celebrate "comme il faut". In our case: in the saddle!

Two stallions, Patek and Urano de Maripa arrived in Germany in November 2010. Despite the cold in Europe they easily adapted. Thanks, also, to Astrid, Dieter and their team, all wonderful people to whom they were trusted.  We visited them during Equitana, last March, and  were very happy to see how well and healthy  they were. We returned to Brazil certain that our adventure would have a great chance of being successful.

Taking a cool break 

Marcelo has always been fanatic about horses. He's been raising Mangalarga Marchador for 31 years now and is a great enthusiast and developer of the breed.  Haras Maripá has been developing its own bloodline mixing horses themselves, individuals.

The stallions are the sons of Oma de Maripá. (Laio de Maripá x Martinica HO, both in Brasil’s ELITE book.)

Patek is the result of an extraordinary genetics that comes from Laio and Moderna de Maripá. Laio has been a national champion and his mother, Festa AJ, an unforgettable breeding mare, also a national champion and gait champion, was a stunning chestnut mare!

Moderna de Maripá comes from Emoção de Maripá and Laio. Emoção is a daughter of Furacão Bela Cruz and Cafundó 3 Pontas, descending of two of the most ancient and traditional Mangalarga Marchador's farms: Abaíba and Herdade. The latter represented by Herdade Jupiá, 4-time national champion. Cafundó 3 Pontas was one of the most important of Cafundo's mares, an animal with unique comfort and temperament, and this Marcelo has been able to prove on the occasions he has had the opportunity of riding her.

Urano, is the offspring of a crossing of our genetics with the lineage 53. His mother, Bejota de Maripá, is a daughter of Major Pitanga's, one of the best horses Marcelo has ever ridden in terms of comfort. Urano is a grandson of Bagdá de Maripá's, full sister of Laio's, and great-grandson of Festa AJ's.

Sergio Lima Beck with Marcelo Baptista de Oliveira
on Patek de Maripa

Paulo Junqueira and Aurelio Tagua del Pozo also trusted our horses promptly and took the challenge to organize our trip with all the infrastructure and logistics necessary. Sergio Beck believed in the project since its beginning and supported us all the time, and even rode with Marcelo during the first days, before my arrival to ride the Galician part of the "Camino". We also had the company of Juan Bajo de Isasi, our guide, and his mount Miguelito, a chestnut vaulting horse very adapted to the "Camino". All of them totally indispensable!!!

We rode about 30 km per day, at 9km per hour, on average, depending on the ground. The ground, my major concern from the beginning, was really difficult. A lot of stones, gravels, some parts with very old stone paving. We used "Videas" on the horseshoes to have more adherence. And our brave horses, they stood strong! Without complaints! All they wanted was to ride, get back to the road!

We got in the saddle at about 10 in the morning. We always stopped for lunch at amazing places previously chosen by  Paulo and Aurelio. While we had lunch the horses were fed and groomed. When back to our saddles, our horses were ready and crazy to go back to the trail. We usually arrived at our destination around 5 in the afternoon. The horses would then go to their stables, and we to our hotels, get ready for dinner.

Meeting other pilgrams on the trail - Camino de Santiago

On a trip like this, you end up spending a lot of time with yourself. Marcelo used to say that what he had in mind most of these moments, when we stopped by the churches along the "Camino" for our prayers, was that he would like people to treat animals better, that he wished their behavior towards them would be more focused in quality, less in violence.

The "Camino" is marvelous! It's really a very ancient trail. Celtic.  Mystical. Full of pilgrims who would always look at us with curiosity at first and then astonishment when learning that our horses had come all the way from Brazil! Unprecedented!


For the first time Brazilian horses were doing that sacred trail!

Success!  Sophia and Marcelo arrive in Santiago de Compostela.
9 days and 300 km.

Photo credits Paula da Silva.  All rights reserved.