Javier González Fraga shines with the CDE “Sonic JGF” in the CSI4 at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour

Vejer de la Frontera, 13th of March

During Friday’s CSI4* competition at the Montenmedio facilities, Spanish rider Javier González Fraga was the standout performer of the day, taking victory in the Big Tour’s main class, the FABBRI Trophy, riding the CDE “Sonic JGF.” The pair produced the fastest clear round, stopping the clock in 64.28 seconds. The event receives institutional support from the Junta de Andalucía — through the Regional Ministry of Tourism and Andalucía Exterior — and the Provincial Council of Cádiz.

Irish rider Niamh McEvoy, riding “Jargon DN,” finished in second place after also producing a clear round in 66.75 seconds, while third place went to another Spanish rider, Álvaro González de Zárate Fernández, who completed his round with “Casa Diva PS” in 67.07 seconds.

González de Zárate also delivered another strong result in the programme, finishing second with “Coralin 8” in the 1.45m Medium Tour class. Iván Serrano Sáez also stood out, taking third place in the 1.40m Big Tour class with “E Pleasure Beaufour.”

Spanish riders continued to collect strong results throughout the day. In the 1.40m Medium Tour, Kevin González de Zárate secured second place riding “Mac,” while Otti Verdú Vidal completed the podium in third position with “Gloria Casa Ballonga.”

The Small Tour also brought a Spanish victory thanks to José Antonio García Diana, who won the 1.40m class riding “Marola P&M.” The same rider returned to the podium by finishing third in the 1.30m class with “Cactus Jack.”

Another Spanish victory came from Kevin González de Zárate, who won the 1.35m Medium Tour class riding “Kilimanjaro van Overis Z.” In the same competition, Paloma Barceló completed the podium by finishing third with “Falbala Pironniere.”

Competitions for young riders also produced strong results for the Spanish team. Juan Riva Gil won the CSIY-A 1.45m class riding “Victoria d’Argent,” and also finished third with “Zamarano Z” in the 1.40m class of the same category.

Among the Juniors, Micaela Álvarez Gutiérrez secured second place in the 1.40m CSIJ-A, while in the Children category Javier Catalán Conde delivered two second-place finishes, riding “Coco Star des GY” in the 1.25m class and “Gismo de Pravia” in the 1.20m class. In the latter, Ane López Peixoto completed the podium in third place with “Macao.”

8-year-old category

In the 8-year-old young horse category, a high level of consistency has also been seen in the arena. After the rounds completed up to Friday, four horses have produced five clear rounds.

Behind them, eleven horses have recorded four clear rounds, remaining among the most consistent performers in the category, while another ten horses have achieved three clear rounds so far in the competition.

These figures highlight the strong sporting level of the CSIYH* young horse classes at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour, ahead of the finals scheduled for next week.

Thursday, 12 March

The sixth week of the Andalucía Sunshine Tour 2026 began on Thursday, 12 March, at the Montenmedio facilities in Vejer de la Frontera, with the opening day of CSI4* competition. The first day also saw an excellent performance from Spanish riders, who played leading roles in several of the classes, including the main event of the day, the Hipotels Trophy, which ended with a Spanish victory.

The main class of the day, contested at 1.50m and featuring 72 combinations, ended with a strong Spanish presence at the top of the leaderboard. Kevin González de Zárate Fernández took the win riding “Chinixen,” producing the fastest clear round in 68.10 seconds. Luxembourg’s Odile Gierech finished second with “Gutchi de Moyon” (68.95s), while Jesús Garmendia Echevarría, from San Sebastián, secured third place with “Caramel Blue PS” (69.40s), also delivering a clear round.

Spanish riders again stood out in the 1.35m Big Tour class, where Iván Serrano Sáez claimed victory riding “Guyane de Talma.” In the same class, Jorge Juan Ruiz Ramírez finished fourth with “Eagle Eye Birdavenue Z,” Xavier Cebriá Soriano placed sixth with “Valentina de Buzalen,” and Álvaro González de Zárate finished seventh with “Hermes de l’O.”

In the 1.35m Medium Tour, victory went to Elena Appendino with “Grupo Prom Hacienda.” Among the Spanish riders, Felipe Villanueva Alonso finished second with “Herria de Soule,” while Hugo Álvarez Amaro placed fourth with “Netsky CK Z,” and Paloma Barceló finished sixth with “Falbala Pironniere.”

Inauguration at Montenmedio

The Montenmedio Contemporary Foundation will celebrate on 14 March at 12:00 the inauguration of the artwork “Resaca Rojo Oriente,” by artist Rafa Munárriz, winner of the 1st Contemporary Art Production Award.

The event will also mark the 25th anniversary of the Montenmedio Contemporary Foundation.

FULL RESULTS
https://www.sunshinetour.net/resultados/xxxii-andalucia-sunshine-tour-2026/48606738