Ecuador delivered a commanding performance at the 2025 Bolivarian Games, held 26–30 November in Lima, Peru, sweeping both team and individual gold in dressage. Olympian Julio Mendoza Loor once again proved unstoppable, securing his third consecutive individual title while leading his nation to the top of the podium.

The Bolivarian Games, staged every four years in honor of South American independence hero Simón Bolívar, feature dressage at the Small Tour level, with results determined across the Prix St. Georges, Intermediaire I, and freestyle.

Team Competition: Mendoza Leads the Charge

Riding the 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding Deparon U.S. (Deveraux × Londonderry), Mendoza topped the leaderboard in the Prix St. Georges with 71.323% and added 70.000% in the Intermediaire I. Formerly a licensed stallion under the ownership of Paul Schockemöhle and Joop van Uytert, Deparon was later purchased by Dutch-American rider Eliane Cordia-van Reesema before joining Mendoza’s growing string of international mounts.

Key Contributions from Klinklicht, Espinosa, and Granja

• Franziska Klinklicht aboard Bengalo Guardiola II, a 10-year-old PRE stallion (Cortesano IX × Barquito), posting 65.029% in the PSG and 66.176% in the Inter I.
• Carolina Espinosa on Picaro, contributing 65.059% from the Prix St. Georges.
• María José Granja, who added 64.882% from her Intermediaire I test with Shir Khan (Sarkozy × Don Primero).
• Canadian-born Ecuadorian rider Alexandra Reid faced disappointment when she and Flynn (Wynton × Future) were eliminated from the PSG, ending their campaign early.

Final Team Standings

Gold – Ecuador: 402.469
Silver – Colombia: 396.058
Bronze – Peru: 380.176

Mendoza Achieves a Historic Hattrick

Julio Mendoza cemented his dominance by winning all three phases – Prix St Georges, Intermediare I, and the Intermediare I Freestyle – to amass a total of 214.658 points, earning his third straight Bolivarian Games individual gold after previous wins in 2017 and 2022.

Individual Medalists

Gold: Julio Mendoza Loor (Ecuador) and Deparon U.S., an 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Deveraux × Londonderry)

PSG: 71.323%
I-I: 70.000%
Freestyle: 73.335%
Total: 214.658

Silver: Mariana England (Colombia) and Viva Vitalis, an 8-year-old Oldenburg mare (Vitalis × Sir Donnerhall)

PSG: 68.735%
I-I: 67.882%
Freestyle: 69.000%
Total: 205.617

Bronze: Franziska Klinklicht (Ecuador) and Bengalo Guardiola II, a 10-year-old PRE stallion (Cortesano IX × Barquito)

PSG: 65.029%
Inter I: 66.176%
Freestyle: 69.79%
Total: 200.995

The Bolivarian Games are a regional multi-sport event held every four years in honor of Simón Bolívar, the revolutionary leader who helped liberate several South American nations. The competition brings together athletes from countries historically connected to Bolívar’s independence movement—Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bolivia—to celebrate shared heritage through sport. Featuring Olympic and regional disciplines, the Games offer a platform for developing athletes while fostering unity and cultural pride across the Andean and Bolivarian regions.