“Where Eventing Lives”

Welcome back to Go Eventing, the podcast where the heart, soul, and stories of the eventing world come to life. This week, we're taking yet another virtual trip, this time to the beautiful country of Portugal, home of FEI eventer Francisco “Kiko” Stilwell to learn all about eventing in small country, the influence of Portuguese breeding programs, and Kiko’s incredible personal history. 

This episode of The Go Eventing Podcast is brought to you with support from Deirdre Stoker Vaillancourt Real Estate, your go-to source for Aiken property. Whether you're renting for the season or looking for a permanent base, Deirdre has just the ticket for you! Learn more at AikenSCProperties.com.

🔎What’s Inside Episode 18?

This week, host Sally Spickard welcomes 4* rider, breeder, Portugal Eventing Association Vice President, Mata do Duque Event Committee Member, and Portuguese Olympic hopeful Francisco “Kiko” Stilwell – who does all of the above with a prosthetic leg.

We’ve been wanting to chat up Kiko for awhile, as his backstory is nothing short of fascinating. Kiko hails from one of the smallest countries when it comes to eventing, and it’s a community that’s struggled to rebuild after the loss of a prominent rider and coach about a decade ago. Kiko has also experienced his share of adversity, dealing with a congenital spinal disease that caused deformations in his left foot, leaving him susceptible to bone infections and overwhelming pain. In 2020, he made the decision to have the lower portion of his left leg amputated to pursue his dreams and save himself from a lifetime on crutches. He and Sally also discuss the intricacies of breeding for eventing, emphasizing the importance of Thoroughbred bloodlines, finding the perfect balance for all three phases, and the need for a focus on amateur riders to sustain the sport world-wide. It’s a story you won’t want to miss out on.

🔥 In This Episode, We Cover...

[EN’s Coverage of MARS Maryland 5 Star]

[EN’s Coverage of the US Equestrian Open of Eventing]

[EN’s Wishlist of Goresbridge ‘Go For Gold’ Horses]

[Visit the Go For Gold Sale]

[Because Maryland and the US Open certainly weren’t the only big competitions recently, catch up on all the things here]

Sally and Kiko share some shout-outs from Eventing Nation and beyond.

Submit your own Go Eventing Shout-outs at [email protected]!

The story behind Kiko’s decision to have part of his left leg amputated to save him from a life on crutches and off horses. Kiko shares the incredible story of his health history and his love for horses and competing in eventing, showing us all that it’s ok to live this life in the body you have. 

The background of Kiko’s family, which is rich in equestrian history and boasts a successful sporthorse breeding program that has evolved with the identify of eventing and the horses it requires. 

The state of eventing in Portugal. The community in Portugal is a close-knit one, and the sport shrank with the loss of well-respected rider and coach Franciscio Seabra in 2015 and the subsequent departure from the sport by his brother, Duarte. The sport has struggled to recover its numbers in the wake of the tragedy, understandably, and Kiko and his community are determined to keep the sport around in honor of those who came before.

[Learn more about Portugal’s two-week eventing extravaganza, Mata do Duque]

Kiko shares his desire to be accessible and transparent in his journey so that everybody can feel visible in their own bodies, and to that end he answers every message he receives from people wanting to connect. We find out his unread message count (if you haven’t already guessed it), what his bucket list events are, what the best thing to eat in Portugal is and more. 

[Follow Kiko on Instagram here and hold him to his ‘answer every message’ promise!]

[Submit your question for our co-hosts here]

Next up: we only have two episodes left before the end of the season (say it ain't so)! Stay tuned in November for the final episodes of our first season featuring two recent World Number One riders: Harry Meade of Great Britain and US Equestrian Open Champion Boyd Martin!

🎧Listen Now and Join the Conversation!

Got thoughts, questions, or feedback? Your voice is a part of our story – we want to hear from you! Find us on social media @goeventing or email us at [email protected]. 

📌 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review Go Eventing wherever you get your podcasts! Let's keep building this community together.

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