Coral Gables Senior High freshman Emma Pombo placed third out of 52 riders at the 2026 Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. She did it while carrying a full International Baccalaureate (IB) course load.
Pombo competes nationally and internationally in show jumping. She has ridden in competitions across Argentina, in Michigan, Ocala, Florida, and Wellington, according to a profile published Sept. 3 by CavsConnect, the school's student newspaper. Her personal website also lists an eighth-place finish at the same Wellington event.
Grandfather's polo horses sparked a lifelong passion
She started riding at age 5. Her grandfather owned two polo horses, and early pony rides turned into a lifelong pursuit. Pombo entered her first local competition in Miami in May 2022, according to her website. By June 2025, she had debuted at the World Equestrian Center.
Trust-building with Perplex comes before the jumps
Her primary mount is Perplex, a gelding she holds on a priority lease. Perplex can clear vertical jumps up to 1.45 meters, roughly 4 feet, 9 inches. His sensitive temperament, the result of an unstable past, means the pair spend much of their practice building trust rather than jumping.
"A lot of the relationship with your horse is built in the quiet moments at the barn and during everyday training," Pombo told CavsConnect.
Late nights follow long drives to Parkland barn
Pombo trains four to five days a week at Gianni Gabrielli Showjumpers in Parkland, Florida, under trainer Gianni Gabrielli, whom she considers a father figure. Up to three of those training days fall on school days. Once the 2:20 p.m. bell rings at Gables, she makes the long drive north to the barn, does homework in the car and finishes the rest at home late into the night.
Coral Gables Senior High's IB magnet, the first in Miami-Dade County Public Schools when it opened in 1987, requires Pre-IB and Honors courses in the freshman and sophomore years before full IB coursework begins in 11th grade.
Classmate María Rodríguez told CavsConnect that Pombo's resilience and dedication push her to excel in both academics and riding.
A second horse in Argentina awaits the trip north
Pombo also owns a mare named Geneva, still stationed in Argentina, where her grandfather bought the horse in 2023. She hopes to bring Geneva to the United States in 2027.
A video posted Aug. 23 to the Gianni Gabrielli Showjumpers Instagram account showed Pombo competing at the Traverse City Horse Shows in Michigan, her most recent documented appearance.
Her next target: France and other parts of Europe before graduation.
