Knight Yuri Mansur leaves Brazil team and could defend Holland after criticism of CBH By Thiago Lemos
6 min read
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Rider Yuri Mansur announced, on August 20, 2026, that he will no longer represent Brazil in competitions, after being excluded from the jumping team for the World Equestrian Games, in Aachen, Germany. Through a statement released on his social networks, the athlete criticized the management of the Brazilian Equestrian Confederation (CBH), mentioning internal disputes, a lack of clear selection criteria and what he described as “deplorable treatment”, which included blackmail and disrespect. CBH, in turn, defended itself in an official note, stating that the choice of team members followed strictly technical standards.
The definition of the four starters and their respective mounts for Brazil in jumping, released shortly before the World Cup, generated controversy. Initially called up with QH Alfons Santo Antonio for the preparation phase, Yuri Mansur was not part of the official CBH list for the competition in Aachen. The final team included Rodrigo Pessoa (Major Tom), Stephan Barcha (Chevaux Primavera Império Egípcio), Marlon Zanotelli (Dorette OLD), Luciana Diniz (Vertigo du Desert) and Pedro Muylaert (Gemme Villers). On the first day of the jumping competitions, on August 20, 2026, the Brazilian team ranked 15th among 31 participants, with the competition scheduled to continue until August 24, 2026.
Mansur reported that the team was facing a management failure, with the absence of defined criteria for team formation.
The knight detailed that the group’s training did not progress as expected, and there was already talk about his possible departure to the reserve, which, according to him, created a harmful environment among his colleagues. He described a meeting in which the coach and team manager refused to answer who was responsible for selecting the team, making the situation uncomfortable for everyone present.
Cavaleiro explains how he found out about the decision not to be a starter in the World Cup
Yuri Mansur narrated how he found out that he would not be part of the starting team at the World Cup in Aachen in an unexpected way. After failing to attend a farewell barbecue on August 16, 2026, he called the team veterinarian the next day to ask questions about veterinary control in Aachen. It was then that the veterinarian revealed that Marlon Zanotelli would go in his place, indicating that the technical committee expected Mansur to only find out when he arrived in Germany to be a “luxury reserve”, in case one of the older horses failed to control. Yuri classified the situation as “unacceptable” and “speechless”.
Given the way the events unfolded, Yuri Mansur decided to leave the team and no longer compete as a group for Brazil.
He expressed that, although he had already accepted situations that he did not agree with, he had never felt his dignity being so affected. The knight considered the episode a “betrayal” and a “disrespectful situation”, regretting that half of the commission did not contact him to explain.
Despite the personal decision, Mansur stated that he continues to support his teammates who are in the World Cup.
He reinforced the desire for Brazilian athletes to shine in the competition and expressed his commitment to exposing and, if possible, changing the current system which, in his view, is problematic in Brazilian equestrianism.
The possibility of Yuri Mansur competing for the Netherlands
Yuri Mansur’s future in sport could include representing another country. Living in the Netherlands and holding a Dutch passport, the rider revealed that his son, Pedro, already competes for the European country and is a child world champion. Mansur stated that he had the option of defending the Netherlands and had received invitations from other nations. He declared that, without a “huge revolution” and the unity of the knights to overcome old hurts, he has no intention of returning to the Brazilian team, but considers continuing to represent Brazil individually.
Contents of the note released by Yuri Mansur
In his note, Yuri Mansur described what happened on August 16, 2026 as the “worst episode” in his journey, after more than a decade dedicated to sport in Europe. He criticized the “incompetence”, the “lack of capable managers”, the “power struggle between the athletes themselves” and the “absence of a unit with a winning mentality”. The knight pointed out that the process was repeated annually with “fights, offenses, deliberate lack of communication, lack of rules and honest processes, protectionism and no results” as a team. He reiterated that he had received the “most deplorable treatment” from the current administration, being “blackmailed, despised and mistreated”, and that Sunday’s events exceeded ethical limits, leading to his decision to no longer compete in team championships for Brazil.
He ended the note by wishing luck to the athletes representing Brazil at the World Cup, while expressing “sorry” for the management of the Brazilian Equestrian Confederation.
Official position of the Brazilian Equestrian Confederation
The Brazilian Equestrian Confederation (CBH) released a note to clarify the formation of the Jumping team for the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026. The institution reported that, in June, seven athletes were called up to represent Brazil: Luciana Diniz, Marlon Zanotelli, Rodrigo Pessoa, Stephan Barcha, Yuri Mansur, Eduardo Pereira de Menezes and Pedro Muylaert.
CBH explained that, from the beginning of the call-up process, it was clear that, of the seven names, five would be part of the team in Aachen, with four as starters and one as a reserve. This structure is considered standard in high-performance teams and, according to the Confederation, it was known to everyone involved.
The final definition of the team was conditioned on the concentration period in Aachen, which took place between August 11 and 16, 2026. During this time, the athletes and their horses were evaluated by the technical committee. CBH emphasized that there was no prior confirmation of ownership, and any of those called up could be selected to enter the track.
The choice was made by international coach Franke Sloothaak and his team, using exclusively technical criteria to assemble the most suitable team for the World Championship. The Confederation recognized the difficulty of the decision due to the high technical and balanced level of the athletes.
CBH reported that, after communicating the likely formation of the team, Yuri Mansur chose to leave the training center. The entity respected the athlete’s decision and, as a result, it was necessary to call up Pedro Muylaert, who was on the waiting list, to join the Brazilian team.
The Brazilian Equestrian Confederation clarified that Yuri Mansur’s demonstration took place before the definitive appointment of the riders, which was formalized only after the official training and adaptation in Aachen. CBH stated that, if Mansur had remained, he would have remained part of the delegation.
The CBH note concluded that technical decisions are routine in sport, as is an athlete’s decision to follow a new path. The Confederation thanked Yuri Mansur for his career and success with the Brazilian team, wishing him success in his new phase and regretting what happened. The current focus of the entity, the technical committee and the delegation remains on Aachen, seeking good results for Brazil in the competition.
