Will Fletcher and ‘Iwalinde’, winners of the Dunas de Barbate 4* Grand Prix

The British rider and the grey mare by ‘VDL Zirocco Blue’ had their second victory this week here at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour

Today, British William Fletcher and ‘Iwalinde’ had their second victory in a Longines Ranking class this week, as they were top of the podium in the really competitive 1.55, Dunas de Barbate Trophy Grand Prix class here at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour which is kindly sponsored by the Junta de Andalucía, through the Consejería de Turismo and Andalucía Exterior, and by the Diputación provincial de Cádiz.

A delighted Will told us told us after the class, ‘ I can’t believe it, to win a 4* Grand Prix—I’m just so, so pleased,  it takes an army, the horse was fantastic - - she’s a feisty girl and she just tries her heart out every time she goes in the ring. - -two wins this week has just been amazing’ (they also won the Hipotels Trophy 1.50 GP here on the 6th). His mount was the lovely 12yr old grey mare ‘Iwalinde’ who is by ‘VDL Zirocco Blue’ x ‘Corland’ and is owned by John Walter and Will himself and with whom he won the The Hickstead Master's Trophy in June 2024.  ‘I can trust her, she’s so careful she’s got so much ability and she just gave me the best day I could ever imagine’ said the clearly delighted Will.

Will took the win with a deceptively smooth round, from the top French rider, Penelope Leprevost in a very close and fast jump off of just four riders, and in which only the top two went clear. Penelope is clearly on top form as she was the winner of the Small Grand Prix class yesterday. Today she was riding ‘Baloubet de Talma’ (‘Baloubet du Rouet’ x ‘Cento’) and they stopped the clock in just 37.37 exactly 0.10s behind Will. Last to go in the class, was another British rider, Simon Crippen with ‘Handsome’ (‘Toulon’ x ‘Phin-Phin’) who stopped the clock in 38.36s with one pole down taking third place. In fourth place was British Matthew who went early in the class and had an amazingly fast round of 37.06s, but with two poles down.with ‘Medoc de Toxandria’ (‘Der Senaat 111’ x ‘Kelvin de Sainte Hermelle’) Fifth place went to the Swedish rider Antonia Andersson with ‘Bella PS’ (‘Messenger’ x ‘Contendros 2’) who was the fastest of the 4 faulters in the first round.

There was a Spanish win in the 1.45, Small Tour GP from José Antonio García Diana in an eight horse jump off in this Longines Ranking class. He was riding 15yr old ‘Dearest Diamond RS’, by ‘Diamant de Semilly’ who is own by Cayetando Martínez de Irujo. The pair stopped the clock 40.05s in front of Portuguese rider, Nuno Tiago Gomes with ‘Chaccora’s Stakko PS’ (‘Chacco-Blue’ x ‘Conthargos’) who finished in 40.93s; Irish rider, Adam Morgan with ‘Joplin’ (‘Starpower’ x ‘Verdi TN’) was third and British riders finished off the top 5; Rebecca Marsh in fourth and Anna Jellis in fifth with ‘Stevie G’ (‘Billy Mexico’ x ‘Nimrod B’) and ‘C.Star WW’ (‘Big Star’ x ‘Otangelo’) respectively.

There was also a Spanish win in the Classic Tour Grand Prix 1.35. Daniel Ocaña Sánchez with ‘Mauriann de la Lande’ (‘Deauville de la Vie’ x ‘Parco’) took the top spot in 31.72s. Second was Swedish, Lina Renstrom with ‘Corny 16’ (‘Cornet Obolensky’  x ‘Arpeggio’), in 33.61s. Nina Fagerstrom from Finland, was third with ‘Amidam Tivoli Z’ and British riders, Olivia Banks with ‘Lahelien W’ and Ted Bastian-Mason with ‘Areeb O.L’ completed the top five places.

In the Big Tour,1.45, British rider, Chloe Winchester and ‘Korlenski’ (‘Cornet Obolensky’ x ‘Mozart des Hayettes’) added another top placing to their tally here at Montenmedio. Second was the Dutch rider, Mans Thijssen with ‘Let It Be’; third was Slovenian, Andrej Pavlovic with ‘Peach van het Bruggenveld’; and Belgian riders took the next two indeed three places, fourth was Laurens Houben with ‘Verdi’s Adel’ and fifth and sixth was Jerome Guery with ‘Indigo’ and ‘Remus de Mariposa’.

Another top spot for Spain in the Big Tour 1.35 came from Pello Elorduy Ibarzabal with ‘Furiazzo de L’Aubree’. Second and third were the Dutch riders, Sanne Thijssen with ‘Vosje’ followed by Yoni van Santvoort with ‘Esprit’. British riders finished off the top five, Megan James was fourth with ‘Balouish’ and Matt Sampson was fifth with  ‘Kolman VDP’.

British, Chloe Aston was the winner of the Medium Tour 1.40 with ‘Flavie van de Helle’; second was Swedish rider, Sofía Westborg with ‘Hello HX’; third was Sanne Thijssen with ‘Keiralanda VDM’; fourth the Spanish rider, Pablo Santiago Artime with ‘Chiquita D’Aiguilly’ and fifth was British, Laura Kennedy with ‘Diversity Millfield Z’.

There was a British top two in the Medium Tour 1.30 from Adrian Whiteway and ‘A Special Diamond HST Z’ followed by Jude Burgess with ‘Starcent’. Third was German rider, Marco Litterscheidt with ‘Jalou du Rouet L’; fourth, Spanish rider, Daniel Torres Hernándezwoth ‘Be Mylord de Glain’ and in fifth was Dutch rider Luciano Zandvliet quinto with ‘Madonna’.

In the last of the Medium Tour classes, the 1.20 there was a Spanish winner, Álvaro Castro Románwith ‘Jub’. Jude Burgess was also second in this class with‘Georgina’ and in third was German rider, Lena Marie Zins with ‘Quartz VH Wuitenshof’. In fourth was Czech rider, Tereza Praskova with ‘Quinn de Semilly’ and fifth was Belgian, Klaas Koentges with ‘Qendrick van de Bucxtale’.

Swedish, Wilma Fransson had a victory with ‘Aantiq’ in the Small Tour 1.40 followed by the French rider, Guy Jonqueres D’Oriola with ‘Elaterium de Mars’. The next three places went to Spanish riders, José Antonio García Diana with ‘Dito’; Carlos Borho Giron with ‘Baltik des Huards Z’ and Nicolás Bidón Daurella with ‘Cuantas de Torres’.

In the Classic Tour, the French rider, Lauren Alice Paduano with ‘Berthe de Creans’ won the 1.25 class and British, Amelia Gardiner was the winner of the 1.15 with ‘Adonna Z’.

That concludes this week here at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour, with two weeks left to go which are full of new and exciting events. Next week we begin as usual with the Young Horse classes and the new CSI4*, plus a juvenile CSIO which will mean many more exciting classes to enjoy here at Montenmedio.