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José Maria Larocca
José Maria Larocca Jr. (born 1 January 1969) is an Argentinian show jumper. Larocca began his show-jumping career at age thirty-four.[1] Larocca left Argentina for Europe to focus on other forms of work until his love of horses returned him to the sport.[1] His first major competition was the Lyon Grand Prix in 2008. When he completed the course with no faults, he was inspired to continue.[1] Larocca has represented Argentina twice in the FEI World Equestrian Games and five times at the Summer Olympic Games.[citation needed] Larocca became the first Argentinian in 50 years to win a five-star Grand Prix in 2024 (CSI05* 1.60m Rolex Grand Prix at Brussels Stephex Masters: https://www.rolexseries-equestrian.com/en/News-1/Rolex-Series-Jose-Maria-Larocca-Claims-Victory-at-the-Rolex-Grand-Prix-of-Brussels-Stephex-Masters.html BiographyLarocca was born to Argentine parents on 1 January 1969 in Wettingen, Switzerland, where his father was working. He was one year old when his family moved back to Buenos Aires, where he lived until age 25.[2] He began riding at the age of three.[1] After a hiatus, Larocca began riding again in 2003 at the age of thirty-four.[1] In 2009, Larocca placed third at the Zurich Grand Prix, sixth at the Valencia Grand Prix, and sixth at the Patrignano Grand Prix.[1] In 2011, Larocca came in fourth at the Frankfurt Grand Prix, and in 2012 he came in sixth at the Valkenswaard Grand Prix.[1] In 2006, he first competed at the World Equestrian Games. He placed seventy-third individually and Argentina was seventeenth-ranking team.[3] He then competed in the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games placing forty-first individually. Argentina placed twenty-seventh in the team rankings. Larocca purchased the horse Okidoki [when?]for unspecified millions with the intention of riding him in the 2012 Olympics.[4] The horse was already known as the mount of Albert Zoer of the Netherlands, who won team gold at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games, the 2007 European Championships, and the 2007 Olympia Grand Prix in London.[5] However, after Okidoki injured a hamstring during an event in Cannes, he developed complications from surgery and died in late July 2010[4] of septic shock in the abdomen despite initially being proclaimed "well" shortly after the hamstring surgery.[6] On two occasions, Larocca has competed in individual jumping at the Summer Olympic Games. First, in 2008, Larocca came in fifty-eighth, not passing the second qualifier.[7] Larocca tried again in 2012 and came in thirty-eighth, not passing the third qualifier.[8] After losing Okidoki, Larocca rode Royal Power at the Olympics.[8] Larocca has said his greatest inspiration is his father. His personal motto is "Always believe in yourself."[1] Horses
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