(Originally posted on HorsesDaily)

Balve, Germany – International Dressage rider and trainer Cesar Parra is one step closer to his goal of competing Grandioso, owned by Michael and Sarah Davis, in the Pan Am Games thanks to last weekend’s successful show in Balve, Germany. Parra rode the ten-year-old Westphalian gelding in the Prix St. Georges class and the S3 class, winning both classes. Parra will be in Europe throughout July, competing and training Grandioso as well as Dave and Taunia Reed’s Agastrofos. “I believe our trips to Europe are super for many reasons. I love to keep my eye sharp and think it’s critical to watch the best horses and riders in the world,” Parra said. “I believe that when you surround yourself with the best, you push yourself to be better all the time.”

Parra is staying at Arnd Erben’s stable in Iserlohn, Germany, and decided to attend the Balve dressage show in an effort to see, “where we were and what we really needed to focus on,” Parra said. “I’m super excited with the results and it was very special to represent the USA here. The people have been really wonderful.”

While Parra is hoping that Grandioso will help him achieve his dream of riding on the U.S. Dressage team, he said that it has been a “team effort” to get Grandioso to where he is today. The Davis family purchased the gelding in 2009 and Parra said that each time he competes Grandioso the horse delivers a beautiful test and shows that he has a brilliant future.

“We are prepping Grandioso for the Festival of Champions and our goal is to show Grandi two more times while in Europe before returning to the United States for the CDI in Saugerties,” he said. Parra added that Agastrofos is being prepped for the Developing Horse Championships. “Aga is doing great and will continue concentrating on training, more than showing, while in Europe,” Parra said. “He is an exciting young horse and he also has a great future ahead of him.”