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José María Larocca Jr. shines in the closing of the first week of the Andalucía Sunshine Tour
Vejer, February 8, 2026.
The closing day of the first of the seven weeks that make up the XXXII Andalucía Sunshine Tour delivered an outstanding overall balance and very positive sensations at the Dehesa Montenmedio facilities, the setting for another vibrant day of international showjumping.
The Big Tour Grand Prix, the weekend’s feature class, bore the signature of Argentina’s José María Larocca Jr., the undisputed star of the day. Riding Chris, an 11-year-old mare by Contendro I, Larocca posted the fastest time of the three combinations to complete the course on a double clear, securing a brilliant victory. Dutch rider Finn Boerekamp, with Just Penelope JW van de Moerhoeve, claimed second place, while Sweden’s Karin Martinsen finished third with Tailormade Concha Balou.
The day brought the curtain down on an intense week. A total of 15 classes were held across five arenas today, with excitement and speed as the common denominators. Although no Spanish rider took a victory, there was national presence at the top thanks to a horse bred in Spain, which claimed one of the Grand Prix titles.
The best-placed Spanish rider in the Big Tour Grand Prix was Jesús Garmendia. The rider from San Sebastián, partnered with Caramel Blue PS, finished tenth without faults, but two time penalties kept him out of the jump-off, which was contested by eight riders.
The remaining Big Tour classes once again confirmed the excellent form of riders who had already claimed victories earlier in the week. Swiss rider Edouard Schmitz won the 1.45-metre class with Abdul-Jabbar du Gibet, while Morocco’s El Ghali Boukaa topped the 1.40-metre with Goldeneye des Court.
Schmitz was also a key figure in the Medium Tour Grand Prix, delivering a solid start to the circuit. The Swiss rider took the win after clocking the fastest time of the six combinations to complete the class on a double clear, ahead of Karel Dorman. Ireland’s Niamh McEvoy, riding BP Rocket Man, and Italy’s Matteo Checchi, with Elixir de Chalusse, completed the podium.
Spanish rider Pilar Cordón achieved a creditable sixth place with Actiongrace PS, a promising daughter of Action Breaker that joined her stable midway through last season.
The 1.40- and 1.35-metre Medium Tour classes had a Belgian flavour. Olivia Goemaere claimed victory with Red-Flame L in the former, while Dries Dekkers topped the latter with Penélope van’t Ruytershof. In the 1.30-metre class, another Moroccan victory followed, this time for Mohammed Al Ahrach with Havane Denfer, ahead of his compatriot Yahia Said riding Eliza B.
In the Small Tour, the standout class went to Britain’s Pippa Goddard, who posted the best time of the 12 combinations that made it into the jump-off with PDV Constanza, a mare bred in Spain at Yeguada Palacio de Villafruela.
The 1.40-metre class was won by Italy’s Maria Vittoria Gaffuri with Cafeine des Roches, while the German anthem was heard in both the 1.35- and 1.30-metre classes thanks to victories by Rafael Eden, with Celebrity-H (a daughter of Comme Il Faut), and Christian Hess with Quick Marie 2.
The CSI1* Grand Prix, with more than 100 starters, concluded with joint winners: Tim Ten Berg with Edgar 50 and Clarke Johnstone with Menlo Park. The final day of the CSI1* also saw a win for Moroccan rider Safia El Bied, who topped the 1.15-metre class with Astrait de Hus, followed by her compatriot Faycal Bicha with D’Angel la Tuilerie.
The competition programme was completed with two regional pony classes. In the 1.20-metre, Dutch rider Smmay-Jo Selten claimed victory with Di Monaco, while the 0.90-metre went to France’s Marion Meric with Khaleesi l’Rio.
The Andalucía Sunshine Tour will return to the arenas of Dehesa Montenmedio on Tuesday with the start of its second competition. The circuit, the longest-running in Spain, enjoys institutional support from the Junta de Andalucía, through the Ministry of Tourism and Andalusia Abroad, and the Provincial Council of Cádiz—key backing that strengthens its international profile and its sporting, economic and tourism impact on the region.
08/02/2026 by Sunshinetour News , Press releases
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