A Lusitano for Laura Graves

Dressage

U.S.A.

Laura Graves, a former World nr 1 dressage rider and US team anchor, has added a Lusitano to her line-up of horses: Lider Seven.

Lider Seven is an 11-year old Brazilian bred Lusitano stallion by Especial HM out of Danai HM (by Portugal x Paragrafo do Top). He is bred by Wu Gang.

Licensed Stallion

Lider Seven was licensed with the Portuguese Lusitano studbook (APSL)

At his approval he scored mainly 7s and one 8 for his conformation, 6 for his legs, 8 for walk, 7 for trot, 8 for canter to which a coefficient is applied. He totalled 70,50 points at his licensins. He stood 1.75 m to get licensed. He was named a **** recommended stallion in 2023.

So far he has sired 78 offspring registered with APSL.

Sport Career in the U.S.A.

Sold to Boston based Jorge Gabriel in the summer of 2020, Lider Seven began his sport career in the U.S.A. in the spring of 2022.

The pair premiered at Prix St Georges level at Mystic Valley Dressage in April 2022, scoring 73.75% and 73.971%. That spring they showed in three more PSG tests at shows in Connecticut, Massachusets, and New Hampshire. Their scores earned the the title of USDF All breed PSG champions in 2022.

Their first Intermediaire II test was at Dressage at Blue Goose IV in October 2023, scoring 66.029%. Half a year later they did their first Grand Prix test at Mystic Valley Dressage and scored 67.989% on the first day and 68.424% on the next day. In July and August they showed in four more national tests, posting 73.913%; 73.478%, 65.109% and 73.043%. The latter score was at their last show on 24-25 August 2024. These scores made him earn the title of USDF Horse of the Year 2024 Grand Prix reserve champion (Suppenkasper won, Helix was third and Bohemian fourth).

Lider Seven has not yet competed internationally.

Good Company LLC

Raquel Rizzuto and Lider Seven
(Photo © Lauren Pitylak)

At the start of 2025 Lider Seven sold to Good Friday LLC, a company in Boca Raton, FL, registered to Abraham Weissbrod's name. The same company also bought Helgstrand's Winsome Farm in Wellington for 23.6 million euro ten months ago

The yard has been renamed "Beauty Central" equestrian center and is run by Weissbrod's daughter, Raquel Rizzuto, who also stepped forward as Lider's owner.

On her Linkedin page, Rizzuto wrote, "owning a horse farm in Wellington, Florida, is the realization of a lifelong passion shaped by years of experience riding and caring for horses. With a degree in Equine Business Management and a dedication to horseback riding, my journey has always centered on the well-being and health of the horses under my care. Rescuing horses has long been an important part of my life, guiding my values and practices on the farm. While operating a business is an important responsibility, my top priority remains the safety, happiness, and overall welfare of each horse. Their care is at the heart of everything I do, ensuring the farm is not just a business, but a true sanctuary for equine companions."

Laura Graves

Initially it was rumoured that Canadian Grand Prix rider Ariana Chia would get the ride on the buckskin stallion, but the horse ended up in training with Robert Dover who brokered the sale to Rizzuto.

Dressage-News published first that Dover, who trains out of Beauty Central, has matched Lider Seven to Laura Graves.

"I could not be happier for both the owners of this amazingly gifted stallion and Laura, one of the finest riders in the world, and look forward to a great future for them and the USA," Dover told Dressage News.

Lider Seven is the third ready-made Grand Prix horse that is now in Laura's barn. He joined Java Dulce and Sole Mio.

Since the retirement of her super star Verdades, Laura Graves has stepped out of the spotlight of U.S. high performance sport. She made a brief come back with SenSation HW winning the 2022 U.S. Small Tour Championships and was tipped as 2024 U.S. Olympic hopeful, but in January 2024 the combination came to an end.

In 2025 Laura has competed three times so far. First in a national Prix St Georges test in Wellington on 22 January 2025, where she rode Susan Shattuck's Hanoverian mare Ballerini (by Bordeaux x San Amour) to a 64.118% score. On 23 - 25 May she took Sole Mio into the national Grand Prix test in Ocala, scoring 66.304% on Saturday and 66.957% on Sunday.