Text © World of Showjumping

The 6th week of the Andalucía Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, concluded on Sunday with three Grand Prix classes. Once again, it was Sanne Thijssen (NED) and Con Quidam RB (Quinar Z x Cardino) that turned out to be unbeatable in the feature class of the day – the CSI4* 1.55m Diputación de Cádiz Grand Prix. 

The Grand Prix course set by Leopoldo Palacios was a tough nut to crack and only nine of the 50 horse-and-rider combinations managed to deliver clear rounds in this class counting for the Longines Ranking Group B – also a qualifier for the Olympic Games 2024. In the jump-off, it was once again Thijssen and her 18-year-old stallion that were the fastest – snatching the win from Pedro Veniss (BRA) and Nimrod de Muze Imperio Egipcio (Nabab de Reve x Tinka's Boy) by an incredible 2.69 seconds. 0.06 seconds behind Veniss were Leonie Böckmann (GER) and Carter 10 (Christian x breeding unknown), who took the third place – while Guy Williams (GBR) finished fourth aboard Ernie of Greenhill Z (Emerald x Caretino), followed by Eiken Sato (JPN) and Chadellano JRA (Chacco-Blue x Centadel) in fifth.

"Every time, he knows his job and he loves his job and that's probably also why he’s still jumping at this age," Thijssen said in a press release from Sunshine Tour. "It sounds stupid maybe, but in the jump-offs he’s the best – the faster he goes, the more he is fighting and paying attention. The more you let go, the more he likes it."

In the CSI4* 1.50m Medium Tour Grand Prix, counting for the Longines Ranking Group D, it was Michael Pender (IRL) and the 9-year-old mare HHS Cornetta (Cornet Obolensky x Acorado) that went to the top with the fastest of ten double clear rounds. 

With a time of 37.15 seconds, Pender had 0.26 seconds separating him from runner-up Jesus Garmendia Echevarria (ESP) and Callias (Companiero x Casco). The third place went to Diego Ramos Maneiro (ESP) and Encantado C'SG (Verdi TN x Zeus), after the two stopped the clock on 37.87 seconds. It was tight within the top five, as Nicole Lockhead Anderson (GBR) followed in fourth with a time of 37.92 seconds aboard Madagascar Dwerse Hagen (Va-Vite x Diabeau), while Ales Opatrny (CZE) and Holland TN (Breitling LS x Drosselklang II) finished fifth in 37.93 seconds.

In the 1.45m Small Tour Grand Prix, counting for the Longines Ranking Group D,  Emma Stoker (GBR) and Q Seven (FRH Quaid x Stakkato) were the best, when clocking the fastest time in a 10-horse jump-off. Stopping the clock on 37.69 seconds, Stoker took the win ahead of Rubén Gómez Crespo (ESP) and Allblack de Gressoux (Pacific des Essarts x Queiros du Riou) with 0.22 seconds separating the two. Ana Samaia Amaral (BRA) followed in third riding Etincelle de la Fosse (Bocage de Longange x Rosire), while Rebecca Marsh (GBR) and Steve G took fourth ahead of Shane O'Reilly (IRL) and Lancer Luck (Castleforbes Lord Lancer x Coevers Diamond Boy) in fifth.