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Álvaro González de Zárate and Casa Diva PS shine at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour
Vejer, 20 February 2026.
A new day of competition at Dehesa Montenmedio brought further success for Spanish show jumping. Álvaro González de Zárate, riding Casa Diva PS —with whom he claimed the gold medal at last year’s Spanish Championships at this very venue— took victory in the 1.50m Big Tour Grand Prix.
The highlight class of the day featured an outstanding performance from Álvaro González de Zárate, who delivered a flawless round with Casa Diva PS. His win in the 1.50m Big Tour once again confirmed the strength and consistency of this successful partnership.
Another Spanish combination that is set to make headlines this season also impressed: Jesús Garmendia and Caramel Blue PS. The rider from San Sebastián and the son of Carambole finished in an excellent fourth place.
Among the top results were also the Ortiz siblings. Castora Ortiz placed sixth with Robinson, while Luis Ortiz secured ninth place with Mr Quincy B, a horse he has only recently started competing with but which is already showing steady progress.
Between González de Zárate and Garmendia on the podium were Germany’s Harm Lahde, second with Oak Grove’s Commander Bond, and Kendra Claricia Brinkop, third with Dawa de Greenbay Z.
In the other Big Tour classes, Dutch rider Rogier Linssen claimed victory in the 1.45m with Jagcina, while Germany’s Gerrit Nieberg won the 1.40m with Solaia.
Excitement in the 8-Year-Old Final – Yeti Trophy
Another major highlight of the day was the 8-Year-Old Final – Yeti Trophy, which lived up to expectations. Victory went to Duke 366 (Diamant de Semilly x Singular Joter I), ridden by Germany’s Gerrit Nieberg.
Second place was claimed by Jay Z Z, a son of Jenson van’t Meulenhof, presented by Kevin González de Zárate and owned by Remy Ellis. Third place went to Saladin ‘S’, ridden by Belgian Gilles Thomas.
The main Medium Tour class, the 1.45m, attracted 98 starters and was won by Britain’s Holly Smith with Sing Z.
In the 1.40m class, victory was shared by Switzerland’s Jane Richard with Aequitus vh Bergerhof Z and Italy’s Giorgio Sacco with Qionno van’t Merelsnest. Spanish riders were also among the top placings, with Elena Appendino finishing third on Pompei van de Fruitkorf, alongside Álvaro González de Zárate on Andy Star K Z.
The 1.35m class saw another British victory thanks to Thomas Whitaker and Gameboy SWB. Moroccan rider Jad Guerraoui completed the list of winners by taking the 1.30m with No Nonsens.
In the Small Tour, the 1.40m class was won by Ireland’s Max Foley with Sumas Knockout and by Veera Salminen with Kandinsky. In the 1.35m, Moroccan rider Mohammed Al Ahrach and Havane Denfer secured their fourth victory of the circuit. The 1.30m went to Dutch rider Tim Ten Berg with Edgar 50.
CSI1* and Regional Classes
In the CSI1*, both classes exceeded one hundred starters and were therefore split into two rankings. In the 1.20m, victories went to Sprogis with the CDE Mad Max —who had already won earlier in the tour— and Lithuania’s Nojus Chmieliauskas with Idaho VIP. In the 1.10m, Moroccan rider Faycal Bicha claimed victory with D’Angel la Tuilerie, alongside the competitive combination of Alfie Bradstock and Gladstone.
In the Regional classes, the winners were Emily Gulliver (Great Britain) with Lucky Choice in the 1.20m, where Jimena Trapote Blázquez finished second with Espoir du Chene. Sammy-Jo Selten (The Netherlands) claimed the 1.00m with Hoekhorst Jewel, while Nick Junior Selten (Belgium) won the 0.70–0.90m with Roosendaal’s Lollipop.
The Andalucía Sunshine Tour will continue tomorrow at Dehesa Montenmedio with the penultimate day of the third week. The circuit, the longest-running in Spain, enjoys institutional support from the Regional Government of Andalusia —through the Ministry of Tourism and Andalusia Abroad— and the Provincial Council of Cádiz, a key backing that strengthens its sporting, economic and tourism impact.
20/02/2026 by Sunshinetour News , Press releases
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