Coral Rodríguez – Love and Responsibility

PPF: Hello Coral! Welcome to Perfiles del Paso Fino. Thank you for accepting our interview.
CR: Thank you so much, thank you for considering me. I love spending time with you and to tell you a bit of my story.
PPF: Super.

PPF: Let’s talk a little about your beginnings. Tell me about your horse-oriented family, about how you reached this stage in your life, tell me how everything unfolded.
CR: Alright, everything began with a dream and love that my father had for horses. He always dreamed of having animals and owning his own horse and farm. When he moved to the United States, he had the opportunity of doing so. My father is from Naranjito, Puerto Rico and my mother is Colombian. As a good Colombian, she loves all animals, horses in particular, so it was a perfect match. When they decided to have their own farm over 20 years ago, they began here in Miami and started competing all around the United States and then I came into their lives. Since I can remember, I was always on a horse. My mom rode with me in her belly and when I was born, my dad would hold me with him on the saddle. When I was 2 years old, I started to ride, and I took classes with Jaime Escudero. That is how my love for horses began, I have always loved them. People say I live and breathe horses! It has always been something I carry in my blood from both of my parents and so, I have always felt this love for animals.

PPF: I remember seeing you riding as a child and watching you compete, living on a farm, and just being exposed to horses day and night. How did you come to this stage as an instructor? How did your school come into existence and get started?
CR: One day, when I was 15, I woke up and thought ‘oh, God, this sport isn’t progressing’. I remember that when I was little, we would see so many people, so many spectators at a show. People were so happy spending time together at these events and then all of a sudden, we wouldn’t see so many people, the market was stagnant, people in general didn’t know what Paso Fino horses were. I wanted to begin something very similar to what you have. I started a blog called “La Voz Del Paso Fino” (The Voice of Paso Fino) and I would write every so often, segments here and there, but I thought it wasn’t enough. I wanted to do something else. I wanted to offer the opportunity for children and adults to know what a Paso Fino horse was, for them to know what it was to love an animal, and to be a part of this beautiful sport we have. So, I told my father, ‘Daddy, I want to start teaching’ and he said, ‘’well, you have your own horse, if you want to start teaching children, go for it.’ And so, I did. I told him that I wanted to share this with others. Many people know my first student, Daniela Nario. She started as my student in November of 2015 and, thanks be to God, here we are! We continue to live our dream and we have been able to touch hundreds and hundreds of people. I am so blessed to be able to offer this farm and these animals to the children and to the people who come to spend time with us here. This has been a very beautiful project. We have always had the purpose of promoting the Paso Fino horse, of offering a place of peace and harmony to people, and to share in the experience that I had myself; to have their own horses readily available to them. So, that’s really where that idea I had a long time ago got started.

PPF: Not everyone has the blessing of going out to see their horse in the middle of the night, or in their pajamas, or on their way out to school… all of that must be something that nourishes you on a daily basis.
CR: Yes, all my life has been that way. As soon as I woke up, I’d run to go see my horses. There was a point in time when we had to go live in a regular house, as I call it, where we had our horses in one place and we were in another place. That was very difficult for me. We only lived there for one year because it was such a different lifestyle from having lived all my life on a farm, having grown up on a farm. When I was surrounded by city life, basically, it didn’t go with me. I definitely prefer to be out in the country.
PPF: So then, do you consider that you are living out your dream right now?
CR: Definitely. I am definitely living the life that I dreamt of as a little girl.

PPF: What is your school’s name?
CR: My school is named Esperanza Equine Connections. This name stems from my father’s farm. His farm is named Hacienda La Esperanza (Hope). I wanted to keep a little of him, of his trajectory, and continue with the name La Esperanza. We work with horses, so Equine. And Connections, because my favorite series is called Heartland and their business is called Heartland Equestrian Connections. So, I kept the Connections part because it’s not just about horseback riding. We do a little bit of everything here, all types of connections with horses.
PPF: Excellent.

PPF: What would you tell children who dream of working with animals, with horses, in particular?
CR: I would say that it is a dream that many children have. I think every little girl dreams of having her own horse. I would tell them to keep dreaming, to work and make the effort to fulfill that goal. Even just coming to feed and clean stalls is something that is unbelievably gratifying. Many places allow children and adults to come in for free and have that experience. I would say that it is so marvelous, it is such a spectacular world, that it is well-worth getting to know. Definitely.

PPF: You know that most parents want to see their children have a college degree, succeed and triumph in a bit of a different concept and, honestly, for those of us who work with horses and live this life from the inside out, what can you say about this?
CR: Well, as you always say, if you don’t do what you like and makes you passionate, you’ll never be fully happy. I did start my higher education. I started studying towards my goal of being a veterinarian, but I decided to take a break so that I could focus on my own school. It is extremely gratifying for me to get up each day and come here to do what I love the most. We don’t have a bunch of workers here, it’s just our family. My little sister is my helper here. This is a place where I feel good, I feel comfortable, I love what I do, I get to be with my animals. I am the owner of this business and I decide what gets done or not. This is a beautiful experience that not everyone has the opportunity to enjoy. But, for me, getting an education has always been very important, as is for my family. For that reason, I have decided to go back to school to obtain my RBT license. This will certify me to work with special needs children, but together with horses. It will allow me to offer equine therapy on a professional level. By being certified, I will be able to offer this opportunity to more children. So, I believe that if a person wants to get a higher education, they can combine their 2 passions: horses and schooling. It could involve psychology, veterinary medicine, therapy… there is a small world in each area for people to bring together their 2 passions.

PPF: What has been the most important lesson you have learned in your horse life?
CR: I believe that one of the most important lessons I have learned, and that is very significant to me, is to care for a living being, learning to care for something other than myself, being responsible for a living thing, a being that cannot defend itself. I think that is where my passion to teach also stems from, because I want to be able to help others. Thanks be to God, my parents always taught me that all animals, particularly horses, cannot defend themselves and, thus, need to be cared for. As a little girl, they’d have me go clean their stalls, feed, fill water buckets. So, that teaches you great responsibility. The point is that for me it is very important to have that sense of responsibility to take care of a living being. Thanks to that sense of responsibility, I do very well with children because their parents are able to trust me with their children, with their treasures, and their lives. I mean, to turn over your child for me to place them on top of an 800-pound animal requires a lot of trust and responsibility and I think that it all stems from that ‘horseman lesson’, as you called it.

PPF: What do you value most in an equitation student?
CR: We go back to that very important word, having a sense of responsibility. They need to know that the horse is a part of them, they are a team, it’s their friend. They need to know that a horse isn’t doing something out of necessity or obligation. The horse is there to help them learn and help them grow. Obviously, it is very important for me to have them understand that horses are animals. They are not things. They need to be treated with so much respect and love and delicacy. So, for me, a student who listens, who understands that, and who is constantly showing gratitude towards a horse for what it is teaching them daily… I think that is what is most important for me to have in a student.
PPF: What you just said is very important. We constantly see that people mount and dismount, compete, win, are thankful, raise their hat and everyone congratulates the rider. But who did the majority of the work and not only at that particular time, but in all the time that has been coming.
CR: Right, during practice and all. That is why it is so important to me that they learn everything. When I give class, it isn’t about me putting a child on the saddle for 30 minutes and then bringing them down. That doesn’t exist for me here. We have them groom, saddle up, bathe. We have treats available to give to horses. Some kids spend the entire day here and then help to feed the horses and fill water buckets at the end of the day. We are always very grateful to the horses who are offering us the chance to experience something so beautiful. So, with that in mind, I think that is definitely one of the most important aspects, definitely. Knowing that horses are our friends and that we are not forcing them to do something based on obligation.

PPF: Yes, and that is something that we can observe at the horse shows. We see the action within each equitation school and your students are always paying attention to the horses’ care. They don’t just show up looking pretty, mount, dismount, and leave. They actually take part in preparing everything to take from here, arriving there to set up, packing up after the show, etc.

PPF: What is the first thing you teach your students? Your new students.
CR: Well, as I had mentioned before, the first thing they do upon entering the barn is to come into contact with the horses. The first thing I teach is how to approach their horse correctly and how to create a connection. How do we do that? We start to groom, we give the horse treats, we start to speak to the horse so that a level of trust is developed, and they get to know each other. I think, from there, the most important objective before riding or going any further is to ensure the child is feeling comfortable with the horse. After that, the first classes I teach are done so without a saddle. Why? I like for the child to connect with the horse, to feel the horse’s movement, and how the horse flows right under them. I want them to think ‘my God, I have never felt anything so spectacular,’ but to feel comfortable. There are times when perhaps there is some fear at the beginning, so we integrate games or different activities for children to gain more trust in the horse and we feel that the main project is to help the child connect with the horse.

PPF: What has been the most memorable horse or experience as a horsewoman?
CR: Oh, for me every horse has a huge story behind it. I have had many gorgeous horses that have touched my soul, horses that have offered me spectacular triumphs, like Sakura del Eden, horses who were my first loves and are no longer with me. I can’t define one horse in particular that was special to me because all my horses are important to me.
PPF: That’s beautiful, I understand you completely!

PPF: Alright, let’s get to it, now that we went through a sensitive and emotional topic, let’s talk about the 2022 Equitation World Championship.
CR: Oh no, you want to keep watching me cry!
PPF: Tell me, how much time passed from the moment you decided to participate to the moment you earned this title?
CR: My first Mundial was in 2006 in Kissimmee. After that, I had the opportunity to represent the US again at the Mundial in Puerto Rico in 2010. We moved on to Pereira [Colombia] in 2012, then 2016 in Puerto Rico. Next was 2018 in Ocala and now, 2022 in Colombia once again. So, a really long time has gone by!

PPF: Was there a time you thought you would attain it? Or did you just work and let everything flow, just waiting to see what would happen?
CR: Well, I always went with that goal in mind. I was something I always set my mind to, but something always came up, as if it wasn’t in the cards for me. I never stopped trusting myself and my capabilities. I did realize that the horse was of great influence Unfortunately, the opportunities didn’t arise as we would have liked them to, but we never gave up on our dream. I think that is the most important lesson we can learn by going through all of this. We shouldn’t stop, we shouldn’t give up until we have reached that goal. When we arrived in Colombia, we didn’t even have a horse to ride yet. We got there about 2 days before the horse competitions actually began and we couldn’t find a horse because almost all of them were already rented. So, again, we went with the illusion that we’d go participate and we were among a strong team, but we didn’t know if we had the tools that we needed to make that dream come true. But well, things tend to fall into place in a magical way.

PPF: Yes, that’s right. Did you believe it at the time?
CR: No. Like I was telling you, it was all just so spectacular. I wasn’t even going to ride the mare I rode. I was scheduled to ride another horse, but there was a last-minute inconvenience and I had to change to another horse. I hadn’t ridden or practiced with her at all, but she was such an extraordinary mare. I didn’t know she would compliment me as much as the other mare would have. So, I put it all in God’s hands and thought ‘let it be God’s will.’ We had worked so hard to be where we were and it’s time to prove what we are made of because we had been at so many Mundiales and we still hadn’t reached that goal. Ever since I woke up, I knew that was going to be the day. That was the day, since I woke up at 6am, I had a clear direction, I was totally focused, I was going to get that medal. I couldn’t wait to start, which by the way, was extremely late when we competed, but I couldn’t wait to mount that horse and enter the show ring to show what I was capable of doing. It truly was a magical moment, such a magical moment. Before entering the ring, I had read a friend’s post. She was named champion in 2018 in the category that currently comes after mine. She wrote that she had visualized herself at the podium. And while visualizing herself at the podium, she thought about her flag’s anthem and obtaining the gold medal. I thought, ‘I am going to do the same thing.’ Before entering the show ring, I said, ‘dear God, let it be Your will, but please let the United States national anthem be played.’

PPF: Tell us what was going through your mind as you were listening to the judge’s explanation and waiting for the champion to be declared?
CR: Perfect! When they called us back into the show ring and started our tie-breaker, I started dreaming, as of that very moment, of the judge saying that the gold medal was awarded to number 6, that the gold medal was for the US, that it belonged to the delegate from the United States. So, although I never lost my concentration and I felt very comfortable doing the work-off and everything else, I was just thinking about my anthem, about standing on that podium. When the judge was explaining, and started to say, you know, ‘there was one rider with no mistakes, that was consistent, that had a perfect execution with her horse…’, I was thinking ‘well, maybe it’s me, maybe it isn’t’ because Melanie Weaver is a spectacular rider. We know that she never makes mistakes and has participated perfectly in some classes, so I was not sure if it was me they were talking about or not… and all of a sudden I hear the number 6. That, to me, was an amazing moment. I couldn’t believe it. I would look all around me and see everyone coming out with the United States flags to come hug me. I was just thinking, ‘my God, what a spectacular moment.’ Just this morning I was showing some videos to my friend. My God, Maritza, I was telling her, ‘I just can’t believe I did it, I can’t believe I did it.’

PPF: At the precise moment of the judgment, when they declared your title, I saw Jose in the background of the image at the tables and you amidst the euphoria of the moment and well, we all always know who Jose is and who Coral is, now tell me in your own words. What is that union you have with your father all about?
CR: My father is my best friend. He is my #1 fan. Thanks to him, I am who I am. It’s difficult to answer that question without crying because he is everything for me and I know that I am everything for him too.  So, after so much effort and so much sacrifice on his behalf to make sure I could go to all those Mundiales and all the competitions, he has been… I owe everything to him! If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be where I am. He is the one who has taught me everything. He instilled this love and passion for horses in me. He is my best friend. To have been able to give him that gold medal and tell him ‘Daddy, we did it’ was an unforgettable moment.

PPF: Who is or are the most influential people of your career?
CR: Well, everyone heard that my father is definitely the person I owe everything to, and so is my mother. My mother has worked tirelessly to take me to all these places, together with my dad. She has given me everything I have asked her for, she always supports me. She was the one who said, ‘okay, if Coral doesn’t want to stay in college it must be because she has something better in store for her.’ She understood that my world is all about horses. My little sister. My little sister has shown me what it means to be a brave person, she has shown me what it is to be dedicated. My little sister who I call my mini me. My family… they are my pillars. They are that foundation that has taken me as far as I have come.

PPF: What is the most important aspect of your work?
CR: The most important aspect of my work is offering a safe space for my children as well as for my animals. To offer a home to each of the animals I have and be able to give them a space where they feel comfortable and happy. If it were up to me, I would own all kinds of animals. I would adopt all the animals in the world. Likewise, I strive to create a fun and educational space for each of the children who enter my farm.

PPF: What do you like the most about horses?
CR: Everything. The noble look in their eye, that delicious, distinct smell that each one of them has, the sensation we feel when we mount and they give us wings, as some say. They give us wings that make us feel so free. Everything. Horses to me are everything.

PPF: Which word represents your horsemanship the most?
CR: You just said it, horsemanship. I have it tattooed on my arm, you can’t see it now, but it is tattooed on me. I am someone who lives and breathes for horses. My entire world revolves around horses… the car I drive, the clothes I wear, the activities we do throughout the day. Everything revolves around my horses, so I think the word that describes me most is Horsemanship. I am a horsewoman.

PPF: What do you want people to know or remember about you the most?
CR: I think something I want people to remember me the most by would be the love I have for animals, for horses. I am a person who dedicates her life not only to the sport, but also to the horse. I want them to remember me and think, ‘wow, Coral really did love horses and loved to compete.’ I want them to know that I wanted to contribute a grain of sand to the sport, to teach and pass on the love I have to all the children, to help expand the Paso Fino breed, and to bring our world and our industry to be known. I hope one day I will be remembered for these things.

PPF: Thank you so much for this time with us, Coral.
CR: Thank you so much too.