Stephi de Boer and Querida won Sunday's the CSI3* 1.50m CHG Grand Prix at Autumn MET 2024. Photo © Hervé Bonnaud / www.1clicphoto.com.
Press release from the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour
Sunday’s CSI3* 1.50m CHG – Construcciones Hispano Germanas S.A – Grand Prix concluded the first part of the Autumn MET 2024 at Centro Ecuestre Oliva Nova in Spain, with Germany’s Stephi de Boer and the 9-year-old mare Querida (Qualito x Embassy I) taking the top honours after a jump-off between eight horse-and-rider combinations.
With a clear round in 40.13 seconds, de Boer and Querida took the win ahead of Santiago Diaz Ortega (COL) and Chasspleen Flamingo Z (Cardento 933 x Dollar du Murier) in second – with 1.22 seconds separating the two. Michael Hughes (USA) and Kashmir van d’Oude Pastory (Thunder vd Zuuthoeve x Sun Light vd Zuuthoeve) completed the podium after clocking a time of 41.84.
Alice Janout (AUT) and Esprit d’Intro Z (Elvis Ter Putte x Erco van’T Roosakker) finished fourth with a time of 46.27, while the penultimate fence standing right in front The Club fell for William Funnell (GBR) and Equine America Billy Picador (Billy Mexico x Animo) leaving them fifth with the fastest time of the competition – 39.16 seconds.
Stephi de Boer and Querida. Photo © Hervé Bonnaud / www.1clicphoto.com.
“I am just so, so happy,” de Boer said after her victory. “The class was very tough, and the course was technical. My horse is fast, so for the jump-off I knew that if I rode good, our time could be hard to beat. I could have done a few strides less here and there, but luckily it worked out for us today.”
“I bought her as a young horse,” de Boer said about her winning ride, the 9-year-old Querida. “She is very, very special. She can be difficult, but as soon as she is in the ring, she gives me such a good feeling. She is a real fighter! My dream is to jump Nations Cups with her for Germany, and also get up to the four- and maybe even five-star level.”
“I love it here,” de Boer said about the venue in Oliva. “I came here for the first time seven or eight years ago, and since then, I have been coming back every year. The showground is just amazing, with good conditions, and the people here are nice. Every year, they improve something. For me, coming to Oliva is like a holiday and a show combined!”
The Autumn MET 2024 continues on 29 October with the second part of the tour, followed by MET III in December.
Then