Text © World of Showjumping

A total of 42 world-class horse-and-rider combinations lined up under the lights on Friday night to battle it out in the CSIO5* 1.60m Grand Prix of the City of Barcelona – a class counting for the Longines Ranking Group A – at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain. 

The first-round track – set by Spain’s very own mastermind Santiago Varela and his team – counted 13 obstacles and 16 efforts. While the faults were well spread out, the delicate vertical-vertical-oxer triple combination at fence eleven left even the 2024 Olympic Champions Christian Kukuk (GER) and Checker 47 (Comme Il Faut x Come On) on four faults – and outside the top twelve that moved on to the second round. 

Sweden’s current world number one Henrik von Eckermann and his wonderful King Edward (Edward x Feo) delivered the first clear of the night as pair number four out and they were soon joined by Peder Fredricson (SWE) and Alcapone des Camille (Diamant de Semilly x Heartbreaker), as well as Michael Pender (IRL) on HHS Calais (Cavalier Royale x Obos Quality) and Olivier Perreau (FRA) aboard GL Events Dorai d’Aiguilly (Kannan x Toulon). 

After the halfway mark through round one, seven more pairs cleared the demanding track, with Tim Gredley and Medoc de Toxandria (Der Senaat x Kelvin de Sainte Hermelle), Maikel van der Vleuten and O’Bailey vh Brouwershof N.O.P. (Darco x Contact vd Heffinck), Stephan de Freitas Barcha (BRA) and Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio (Calvaro F.C. x Paroli), Armando Trapote (ESP) and Tornado VS (Toulon x Contender), Manuel Fernandez Saro (ESP) aboard Ezilis du Mesnil (Qlassic Bois Margot x Tinka’s Boy) as well as Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) on Zuccero HV (Zirocco Blue x Caretino) all leaving the fences intact within the time allowed of 74 seconds. 

As the last pair out in round one, Olivier Robert and Iglesias D.V. (Quasimodo van de Molendreef x Labor’s VDL Indorado) produced the eleventh clear of the night, while his fellow countryman Kevin Staut and and Dialou Blue PS (Tailormade’s Diarado’s Boy x Chacco-Blue) slotted into the second round as the fastest four-faulters sitting 12th after the first round. 

Coming back in reverse order based on time, Van Der Vleuten and O’Bailey vh Brouwershof N.O.P. set the standard in the second round – jumped over a shortened, nine-fence-track – with a double clear in 55.99. Trapote and Tornado VS then picked up the pace, taking over the lead with a time of 51.78. While Von Eckermann and King Edward slotted into second in 51.83, it was Bengtsson and Zuccero HV that spoiled the Spanish party by crossing the finish line in 51.64, pushing Trapote to second and Von Eckermann to third. 

However, it was the last to go, Ireland’s 25-year-old Michael Pender and HHS Calais who snatched the win from the 62-year-old Swede, racing through the track in 50.88 seconds. While the win went to Ireland, Bengtsson had to settle for second, followed by Trapote in third, Von Eckermann in fourth and Stephan de Freitas Barcha on Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio in fifth. 

"I’m delighted with the win here in Barcelona," Pender told World of Showjumping. "My horse jumped amazing and I’m so proud of him and all the team at HHS, both here with me and at home in Ireland."