Tex © World of Showjumping

The 2024-edition of the Sunshine Tour got underway this week, with its 30th anniversary and record-breaking entries. 3500 horses and more than 2000 riders with 60 different nationalities have been entered to compete at the venue at Montenmedio, in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain for the coming seven weeks. More than 2.5 million Euros in prize money is on offer in the 550 classes on the program, including 35 FEI Longines Ranking classes and six Olympic qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Once again many of the world's best riders have taken the trip to the Sunshine Tour, such as Steve Guerdat, Martin Fuchs and Scott Brash, but in Thursday's CSI4* 1.50m Pavo Big Tour – a qualifier for Sunday's Grand Prix with 63 horse-and-rider combinations entered – it was 21-year-old Nicole Lockhead Anderson (GBR) and the 11-year-old stallion I Am A Harley (Harley x Otangelo) who stole the show, when clocking a time of 56.56 seconds to take the win in the David Broome arena.

Mel Thijssen (NED) and Florida Balia NL (Bustique x Lux Z ) followed in 57.80 seconds to take care of the runner-up spot, while Jerome Guery (BEL) finished third with Come Away Flamingo Z (Cardento x Dollar du Murier) with a time of 58.92. Rene Lopez Lizarazo (COL) and Driss de Kerglenn (Mylord Carthago x Cap Kennedy Bois Margot) ended fourth in 60.45 seconds, while fifth place went to Ludovica Minoli (ITA) and Jus de Crack (Unaniem x Querlybet Hero) in 60.47 seconds.