When Championship Teams are Built Together
- Isaiah Dahl
- 4 minutes ago
- 5 min read
7/19/2026, Traverse City, MI - Representing Puerto Rico at the 2026 Central American Games is a milestone for show jumper Freddie Vazquez. Sharing the team with one of his own students makes the accomplishment even more meaningful.
After years competing at the highest levels of the sport, Vazquez has developed a philosophy that extends beyond results in the ring. As he prepares for another championship season, his focus includes building strong partnerships—with horses, students, and fellow professionals.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Vazquez later moved with his family to the Chicago area. His father, who owned racehorses, often brought Freddie to the racetrack.
Freddie recalls those early years fondly.
"As a seven and eight year old I remember going to the track with my dad and spending many hours watching the horses breeze, train, and be cared for. That was where I developed my love of horses. Shortly after that I wanted to start riding; at that point my father decided to give up his race horses and invest in riding lessons for myself and my sisters."
Vazquez progressed quickly as a rider, discovering early that show jumping was the path he wanted to pursue.
"I knew very early on that competition and show jumping was for me. I became a fan and student of the sport."
As his career progressed, Vazquez trained under some of the sport's leading riders and coaches. Along the way, he met his wife, Jodi, advanced to Grand Prix competition, and together they established Messenger Hill Farm, their concierge training program based in Wellington, Florida, and Mettawa, Illinois.
The philosophy behind Messenger Hill Farm has shaped their approach to coaching and horsemanship. The program is founded on careful stewardship of its horses while creating a competitive environment that supports riders across every level of the sport—from competitors in the 0.75m divisions to Grand Prix athletes.
That philosophy has carried into Vazquez's 2026 season. He has been named to the Puerto Rican Show Jumping Team for the upcoming Central American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He will be joined on the team by one of his students, Cristina Padilla-Leon, reflecting a collaborative effort that has involved multiple trainers working toward the same goal.
The partnership began more than a year ago when Vazquez's childhood friend, Israel Lopez, reached out about working together to help prepare his student, Padilla-Leon, for a bid to represent Puerto Rico at the Central American Games.
Although distance had separated them over the years, Lopez and Vazquez had remained close friends while each built careers representing Puerto Rico in international show jumping.
The arrangement would require close cooperation between two established coaching programs. Lopez would entrust one of his students to spend time training within the Messenger Hill Farm system while remaining under his guidance—an approach that required communication, trust, and a shared commitment to the horse and rider. Rather than differing training philosophies, the partnership centered on preparing Kirado, Padilla-Leon's 11-year-old KWPN stallion, for international competition.
Throughout the process, Kirado's welfare remained the priority. The team coordinated veterinary care, farrier work, and every detail surrounding the stallion's move from Puerto Rico to Wellington.
Vazquez recalls:
"When Cristina came over from the island with her horse, we worked to get to know her and Kirado at our farm in Wellington, a place where it is comfortable and low-pressure. We went right away getting our vets and farriers involved to get a plan of action put together for the best preparation possible for Kirado to be successful after the move."
The collaborative preparation coincided with Padilla-Leon and Kirado progressing from CSI2* Grand Prix competition to multiple top-ten finishes in CSI4* Grand Prix classes this summer in Traverse City.
Asked why he was so willing to work alongside Lopez and Padilla-Leon, Vazquez explained:
"The sport has given me a lot. The sport, the horses have given me my life. They introduced me to the love of my life Jodi, they've shown me the world. In my heart, I really want to give back, I want to give back to the horses, I want to give back to the industry that has given me such a life.
The Puerto Rican Federation has been a big supporter of my success as a rider. I think it's important to pass it forward and help again… I want to share my knowledge, share my experience, and if I can positively impact somebody's future, that makes me feel really great about where my life and work has taken me."
The collaboration has since expanded beyond Padilla-Leon. Vazquez and Lopez are also working together in the coaching and development of Jasmine Becton, a young rider pursuing opportunities to represent Puerto Rico through the Young Rider ranks. Freddie and Jodi Vazquez, together with Lopez, have spent the season working alongside one another to prepare their riders and the Puerto Rican team for this year's Central American Games and next year's Pan American Games.
For Vazquez, building a successful team extends beyond the people involved. The environment matters just as much, a philosophy that has brought Messenger Hill Farm back to Traverse City each summer for more than a decade.
When asked why Traverse City, Vazquez said:
"Traverse City has become a second home for us in the summer. Messenger Hill Farm finds its way to Traverse City Horse Shows every year for a few reasons. The town is beautiful, the showgrounds are set up and managed in such a way that allows us to train and reach our goals with our horses and students. The arenas are exquisite, from the footing, to the jumps. When it comes to preparing for major championship seasons, we've chosen Traverse City many times for those reasons. This year myself and our team have again chosen Traverse City, as it allows us to participate in International competitions, while also having a peaceful venue to keep our horses at for an extended period of time."
Despite dedicating much of his season to developing riders and preparing championship teams, Vazquez's own competitive ambitions remain firmly intact.
The 2026 season marks the beginning of Puerto Rico's Olympic selection process. This year's Central American Games will be followed by the Pan American Games in 2027 and, ultimately, the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Asked whether Olympic qualification remains one of his personal goals, Vazquez said:
"Olympics is a topic that gets thrown around Grand Prix rings the world over. For sure, it's been a goal of mine since I was a young boy; it's still on my radar. I've been in quite a few team positions for Puerto Rico, four times at the Central American Games, and two times at the Pan-American Games. I've also come shy of an individual Olympic position twice now. There's a lot that I'm proud of. At this point in my career, I just want to be sure that I am prepared and ready to go, if that's what we choose to do."
Whether Vazquez's path ultimately leads to Los Angeles in 2028 remains to be seen. For now, his focus is shared between pursuing his own championship ambitions and contributing to a broader effort alongside fellow coaches, riders, and horses representing Puerto Rico on the international stage.
In a sport often defined by individual results, the partnership between Freddie and Jodi Vazquez, Israel Lopez, Cristina Padilla-Leon, Jasmine Becton, and their horses demonstrates what can happen when experienced professionals align behind a common objective. Championship teams may compete as individuals in the ring, but their success is built through collaboration long before the first horse enters the arena.
 Isaiah Dahl is a Horse-crazy videographer and founder of Halite Creative.
He travels around the country capturing the joy of horse-sport.
