Edited press release from Oxer Sport
It was an exciting CSI4* 1.50m Grand Prix class on Sunday – which was Andalucia Day – at the Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain. This prestigious class was sponsored by the Junta de Andalucía and the very testing course in the first round left only a handful of top riders going through to the jump-off – including world number one Steve Guerdat (SUI) and Jérôme Guery (BEL).
“Today the course was very difficult, even with top level riders competing, only six combinations got through the first round with no faults," commented Michael G Duffy after his win on the course designed by Spain's Elena Boix Gracia. “There were faults from the horses all the way around the course, which is the mark of a good job being done by the course designer.”
Of the six riders in the jump-off, the first to go was British rider Joseph Stockdale with the lovely Equine America Cacharel (Cachas x Quinar) and they jumped a perfect, careful, clear round in 44.74 seconds. This set the bar, a clear was now needed in a faster time, some thought that looked easy but as it turned out it wasn’t really the case.
When Michael G Duffy went in, he rode a fast and accurate round, and luck was with him. “I didn’t do anything stupid in there. I rode the whole course fast and in the last line I pushed that bit harder and that’s where I think I made up the time,” Michael G Duffy detailed.
Michael G Duffy’s gelding Lapuccino 2 is a 13-year-old Irish sports horse owned by Carl Hanley Sporthorses Gmbh. He has already started off this season with very good results and in the Grand Prix he clearly demonstrated his scope. "Lapuccino has been with me for 5 or 6 years now and each year he improves, and he has taken us competing all over the world. I adore him. Today he jumped his heart out for me to win this GP and he is very special for me,” Michael G Duffy said.
Stockdale's lovely round earned him a well deserved second place, as Steve Guerdat with Albfuehren’s Maddox (Cohiba 1198 x Maraton) and Jérôme Guery with his top horse Quel Homme de Hus (Quidam de Revel x Candillo) both had four faults despite having extremely fast times – finishing third and fourth respectively. Jose Larocca (ARG) was fifth with Finn Lente (Gaillard de la Pomme x Colandro) – also with four faults – and home rider Manuel Fernández Saro with Jarlin de Torres (Jarnac x Calvaro F.c.) finished sixth.
Once again, David Will (GER) was the winner of the Medium Tour Grand Prix – riding Quentucky Jolly (Nirvana V x unknown). Only 11 horse-and-rider combinations of the 71 in the class made it to the jump-off. Will's winning time in the jump-off was 1.75s faster than that of Jodie Hall McAteer (GBR) who took second place with Kimosa van het Kritrahof (Chatman x Eros Platiere). Wilm Vermeir (BEL) ended third with Joyride S (Toulon x Pachat II), almost two seconds behind Will. Fourth place went to Niklaus Schurtenberger (SUI) on Lireu (Legolas x landgraf I), while fifth place went to William Funnell (GBR) and Billy McCain (Cevin Z x Cruising).
The Small Tour 1.40-1.45m Grand Prix was won by the young rider Eden Leprevost (FRA) who is the daughter of the Olympic French rider Penelope Leprevost. This was a class with 48 entries and only four jumped clear in the first round. Eden and Une Etoile Landaise (Balougran x Socrate de Chivre) finish the first part of the Tour with two wins and being placed in the top five in no less than eight classes.
This finishes off the first part of the XXVII Sunshine Tour which has been full of top-class sport from world class riders and horses, not only from the world of showjumping but also from eventing. The atmosphere here has been good and very professional from all those taking part in the competition, with everyone acting responsibly and following the health guidelines. The installations have functioned perfectly and everyone here is happy to be competing and training at the best Equestrian facilities in Europe.
Jumping starts up again on Thursday the 4th of March with the CSI2* and the young horse classes.