Michael Pender (IRL) and the 12-year-old gelding HHS Calais (Cavalier Royale x OBOS Quality) posted the only clear in Sunday's CSI4* 1.55m Suzuki Grand Prix at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, to take the top honours.
Fifty horse-and-rider combinations had qualified for Sunday's Grand Prix, but it was only Pender who managed to solve all the questions asked by course designer Leopoldo Palacios. "The course was difficult today, and I’m absolutely delighted that I didn’t have to do a jump-off – it doesn’t happen very often!” said Pender in a press release from the Sunshine Tour. “But it was amazing, and my horse jumped amazing. I think it’s fantastic to jump on the grass here this early in the season; a big thanks to the Sunshine Tour and everybody involved for making these brilliant conditions.”
Michael Viehweg (GER) and Contario (Contendro I x Caridor Z) could not keep on the right side of the time allowed, finishing on one time penalty and in second place, followed by Santiago Nuñez Riva (ESP) and Chakira Z (Crown Z x Quidam de Revel) in third with two time penalties. With four faults, Jason Foley (IRL) and Rockwell RC (Kannan x Guidam) had to settle for fourth, followed by William Fletcher (GBR) and Valento (Van Helsing x Dorian) in fifth.
In the CSI4* 1.50m Medium Tour Grand Prix the number of clears were eight, and out of those, six managed to deliver a clear in the jump-off too. Fastest were Felipe Amaral (BRA) and Androide 3K (Bras-H x VDL Zirocco Blue) in 38.21 seconds, followed by their compatriot Luiz Felipe Cortizo Gonçalves De Azevedo Filho (BRA) riding Sierra du Piedroux Z (Hunter's Scendix x Contefino) to a time of 39.27 seconds. Alessandra Reich (AUT) and Anyway van het Kervijnhof Z (Alvaro du Talus x Klairon Dancer) took the third place after stopping the clock at 39.74 seconds, followed by Aurelien Leroy (FRA) and Enjoy Blue (Plot Blue x Esterel des Bois) in fourth in 39.97, and Michael Viehweg in fifth in 41.52 aboard Comanche 29 ( Comme Il Faut x Levantos I).