At age 18, Portuguese Young Rider Mafalda Galiza Mendes shone at the Sunshine Tour CDI in Spain this year, attaining nine first places with over 70% classifications. In Portugal she is the number one in the national riders’ ranking, a six times gold medalist and she has reached a sixth individual place at the 2008 European Young Riders Championships. Unfortunately she missed the opportunity to become the 2009 Young Riders Champion at the National Dressage Championships in Reguengos de Monsaraz, Portugal, due to a lack of participants at this level.  Mafalda Galiza Mendes is a young gun in dressage and is an outsider for a high ranking at the 2009 European Young Riders Championships in Ermelo, The Netherlands. The Portuguese website Equisport interviewed Mafalda about her dressage career and future plans.Read the Interview