Spanish Sunshine Tour
last updated on March 21, 2006 00:00
Week three: Hester sweeps the board
BritainÂ’s number one ranked rider Carl Hester once again dominated the small tour in the final week of the Spanish Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera. He rode Sharon BaldwinÂ’s nine-year-old 16.2hh Dutch-bred stallion Pro-Set to victory in the prix st georges, intermediaire I and intermediaire I freestyle, all with scores of more than 71%.
In the big tour, bronze team medallists at the 2003 European Dressage Championships, Nicola McGivern and her 15-year-old 17.1hh Hanoverian gelding Active Walero were on top form to win their first class of the tour, the grand prix, with more than 70%. They also finished third in the grand prix special behind Holland’s Leida Collins and On Top and Germany’s Alexandra Simons de Ridder with Wellington.
British riders also featured in the grand prix freestyle with Maria Eilberg and the 12-year-old 16.2hh German-bred Two Sox in second and Richard Davison and the 13-year-old 17.1hh German-bred gelding Hiscox Karachi in third.
Sarah Millis and Timberland III produced another two high-scoring tests, 78.2 and 74.6%, to repeat their previous week’s success and head the FEI six-year-old prelim and final.
The standard was also high in the FEI five-year-old final. Nicola Cooper and her 16.3hh black mare Rosenzauber 8 scored more than 80% to move up to second place, having finished fifth with 70.6% in the FEI five-year-old prelim test.
For the full results, visit the show’s website www.sunshinetour.net
Week two: Karachi produces top form
One of Britain’s leading riders for many years, Richard Davison, and Hiscox Karachi produced their best result to date when they scored 72% to finish second in the grand prix freestyle at the Spanish Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera. Richard and the 13-year-old 17.1hh German-bred gelding by Warkant moved up from a fifth place in the grand prix.
Another British combination, Maria Eilberg and the 12-year-old German-bred Two Sox by Ehrentusch, made a spectacular move up the placings in the same two classes. Maria, who has won four European team medals in ponies and young riders, was 18th in the grand prix and worked her way up to finish third behind Richard in the grand prix freestyle on 69.33%.
Bronze team medallists at the 2003 European Dressage Championships, Nicola McGivern and Active Walero, continued their consistent form by finishing third in the grand prix and second in the grand prix special.
Carl Hester and Sharon Baldwin’s nine-year-old 16.2hh Dutch-bred stallion Pro-Set followed on from their successful first week on this tour to take second in the prix st georges with nearly 71% and win the intermediaire I with nearly 73%.
Sarah Millis is used to success, having been selected for the British under-21 teams for a record nine successive years and having won five team bronze medals during that time. Here she rode her own and her boyfriend David Crockford’s 16.1hh gelding by Jazz, Timberland III, to win both the FEI six-year-old preliminary test with 78.8% and then the FEI six-year-old final with a staggering 83.6%.
For the full results, visit the show’s website www.sunshinetour.net
Week one: Hester dominates small tour
Britain’s number one ranked rider Carl Hester dominated the small tour in the first of the three competitions that make up the Spanish Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera. Riding Sharon Baldwin’s nine-year-old 16.2hh Dutch-bred stallion Pro-Set, Carl won both the prix st georges and intermediaire I with more than 72%.
In the big tour, Britain enjoyed further success. Nicola McGivern and her 17.1hh Hannoverian gelding Active Walero, who helped Britain win team bronze at the 2003 European Dressage Championships, also scored more than 72% to take second in the grand prix special, moving up from a third place in the grand prix.
For the full results, visit the show’s website www.sunshinetour.net
