Press release from the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour 

The third and final week of the first part of this year’s Autumn MET at Centro Ecuestre Oliva Nova in Oliva, Spain, concluded on Sunday with the CSI3* 1.50m Grand Prix presented by CHG (Construcciones Hispano Germanas S.A). 

After winning the CSI2* 1.45m Grand Prix presented by Dammann Reitplatz- u. Sportplatzbau GmbH during the first week of Autumn MET I, Great Britain’s Ben Maher – the reigning Olympic Champion – and the 12-year-old Ginger-Blue (Plot Blue x Royal Bravour, bred by P. Verberne and owned by Jane Forbes Clark and Ben Maher) ended their tour in Oliva with another Grand Prix win. 

Eleven horse-and-rider-combinations out of the 45 at start cleared the first-round track and joined the deciding jump-off, where Maher and Ginger-Blue were the quickest pair – taking the win in 35.15, nearly a second faster than the runner-up pair Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) and H&M Luna van’T Ruytershof Z (Levisto Z x For Pleasure, bred by Stal ‘t Ruytershof and owned by Team Philippaerts and Stutteri Arch).

Michael Hughes (USA) and Melodie-K van’T Kattenheye (Cornet Obolensky x Kannan, bred by Tonny Raman and owned by Stephex Stables) completed the podium in third, while Nano Healey (IRL) and Oak Grove’s Clown FRH (Cascadello x Balou du Rouet, bred by H.G. Van Wijlick and owned by Gestüt Eichenhain GmbH) finished fourth, followed by Kendra Claricia Brinkop (GER) aboard Nector vd Bisschop (Echo van’T Spieveld x Darco, bred by Tom De Craene and owned by Stephex Stables and Scuderia 1918 Capital SRL) in fifth.