Bernadette Pujals’ Trip to the Top of the World

Best Friend

Berna has known Vincent since he was two and half years old. He was bought in Germany following his thirty days’ test, at which he was approved as a breeding stallion. In 2002 Berna took over the ride from her husband, and competed with him at the Central American Games, bringing home for Mexico team gold and individual bronze medals. In 2003, Berna and Vincent won the individual silver medal at the Pan Am Games, and helped Mexico reach the bronze medal podium. They moved up to Grand Prix in 2004, but Vincent was not ready to qualify for Athens. Instead Berna took him to four shows in Europe that summer, solidifying the Grand Prix and building him up for her next goal, these World Championships. In the summer of 2005 she returned to Europe again. In those two seasons she discovered something interesting about Vincent’s show performances: he tended to do best in his very first outing, and not so well at a subsequent show. “In 2004,” says Berna, “we went to Bern, Switzerland. We were second both days behind Beatriz Ferrer-Salat and Beauvalais. We then went to Lingen and he was not so good. In 2005 we went first to Falsterbo. We arrived at Jonny’s on Saturday from Mexico. By Wednesday we were already in Falsterbo. I got 70 and 71 percent at that show. The next weekend he was again not as good.”

Berna says that leading up to WEG, Jonny Hilberath wanted to go to several shows. “I thought it would be better not to do anything. I do ten shows a year in Mexico. They are small shows and don’t have the judges, but I do my Grand Prix; I do my tests. I am very hard on myself, taking video and watching it to keep working on improving.” When Vincent was taken from her in June, the decision not to show became a moot point.

Spain’s Missing Star

Berna Pujals is now a Mexican citizen, but she is in fact Spanish. Born and raised in Barcelona, she grew up riding with Beatriz Ferrer-Salat, whom she counts as both a mentor and a friend. “We are really close. We came to the sport together as children, grew up in the same world.” Berna, who was twice the Spanish champion in 1988 and then in 1990 with a horse of Beatriz’s called Udon, used to coach Beatriz. The roles reversed after Beatriz moved to Germany. “She went to Germany and then she started to train me. For me she has been a really good example.” After a year and a half in Germany and eight months in the US competing in the early nineties, Berna moved to Mexico City. In order for her to get on the team, the Spanish federation required her to qualify and compete in selection trials in Spain, or in Europe at the very least. It was too expensive to consider doing that while living in Mexico, so in 1997 Berna decided to become a Mexican citizen and ride for the red, white and green.