Rodrigo Giesteira de Almeida Takes Basel Silver, Lifts Portugal’s Olympic Hopes

Portugal’s colours flew high in Switzerland this week as Rodrigo Giesteira de Almeida came within a blink of winning a World Cup class in Basel, clocking an immaculate round that reaffirmed his place among Europe’s elite show-jumpers and reminded a home audience that the sport’s global spotlight can, indeed, turn west.

Key points at a glance

• Second place in the Basel World Cup 1.40 m class, just 0.17 s off victory

• Zero faults with Solidat, plus two more clear rounds on different horses

• Basel podium extends a run of wins and podiums since early 2025

• Performance hailed as a boost for Portugal’s Olympic ambitions

• Next stop: the 1.60 m Grand Prix on Sunday evening

Basel result puts Portuguese jumping in the World Cup frame

Giesteira de Almeida and the 11-year-old gelding Solidat sliced through the indoor course’s nine obstacles in 54.56 seconds, leaving every rail intact. Only Germany’s Richard Vogel managed a faster trip, by a razor-thin 0.17 seconds. Behind them, compatriot Hans-Dieter Dreher rounded out the podium, confirming the class as one of the most competitive of the opening week of the Longines CHI Classics.

Basel’s 1.40 m opener may sound modest beside the marquee Grand Prix, yet the class is an early barometer of form for riders aiming at spring World Cup qualifiers. For Portuguese fans, the sight of the green-red flag on the main arena’s LED leaderboard underscored how far the nation has travelled in a discipline once dominated almost exclusively by northern Europe.

Three horses, three clear rounds: a weekend of consistency

Giesteira de Almeida’s Swiss visit was anything but a one-horse show. Aboard GB Diamantina, he tackled the 1.45 m speed class, finishing eighth after another fault-free passage that prioritised rhythm over raw pace. Hours later he reunited with Karonia.L for the tougher 1.50 m, placing 19th but again leaving rails in their cups.

That triple-clear statistic — spread across three different mounts, heights and course designs — matters to selectors eyeing the 2026 Nations Cup calendar. It signals a rider who can adapt quickly and keep nerves low, a trait especially prized when Olympic qualification points are on the line.

The horsepower behind the headlines

• Solidat: a power-built Hanoverian whose quick hind-end has become Giesteira de Almeida’s go-to weapon in tight indoor turns.• GB Diamantina: quick-footed mare often reserved for speed classes where intuition outweighs stride length.• Karonia.L: the 10-year-old KWPN grey famed for her elastic bascule and the partnership’s victory in the 2024 Jumping Mechelen Grand Prix — the first Portuguese win at that five-star fixture.

Horse-swapping is routine at top level, yet rotating between three mounts in 48 hours without a single fence down is rare. Veterinary staff in Basel report that all three animals exited the ring sound, a good omen ahead of Sunday’s 1.60 m Grand Prix.

Momentum built across two seasons

The Basel silver ribbon caps an 18-month stretch that saw Giesteira de Almeida win the Stuttgart CSI5-W 1.50 m* in November 2025, top the Sunshine Tour Small Grand Prix last spring and secure five CSI4* podiums in Spain. Since January 2025 his world ranking has climbed more than 40 places, landing just outside the FEI top-100 — unheard-of territory for a rider trained in the Portuguese provincial circuits of Ponte de Lima and Golegã.

Stakes for Portugal’s Olympic outlook

Lisbon’s federation officials have quietly pencilled in a potential team spot for Los Angeles 2028, contingent on riders like Giesteira de Almeida turning individual brilliance into Nations Cup consistency. Portugal last fielded an Olympic show-jumping team in 1996; a three-decade drought could end if ranking points continue to accumulate. Basel’s podium supplies both confidence and coefficients, moving that scenario a step closer.

What to watch next

Basel’s week-long meet peaks Sunday with the €400 000 1.60 m Grand Prix. Giesteira de Almeida is expected to saddle Karonia.L, a combination that finished fourth in the same class twelve months ago. Beyond Switzerland, his calendar lists Amsterdam, La Coruña and the Gothenburg World Cup Final qualifiers — events Portuguese fans can stream via FEI TV.

Whether or not more silverware follows immediately, the takeaway from Basel is clear: a Portuguese rider is now a fixture on the biggest indoor stages, and the rest of 2026 suddenly looks far more interesting for a country hungry for equestrian headlines.