Vejer de la Frontera, Spain – March 17, 2019 – Holly Smith (GBR) and Hearts Destiny won the €93,600 Suzuki Grand Prix CSI 4* yesterday during the fifth week of competition of the Sunshine Tour.

It was an emotional and very exciting class.  The crowd was buzzing as the horses jumped the first round of this unforgiving course designed by Santiago Varela (ESP).  In the end only 8, top international riders got through to the jump-off. Pénélope Leprevost (FRA), Cian O’Connor (IRL), Henk Van de Pol (NED), Holly Smith (GBR), Pedro Junqueira (BRA), Laura Kraut (USA), Marcel Marschall (GER) and Anthony Condon (IRL). With this line-up, the jump off was incredibly competitive and fast.

With a fully supportive crowd in the stands and flying through the finish as the last rider to jump, the top British rider shot in to first place aboard her 10-year-old Anglo-European Sport Horse (Heart Throb x Rabino),  having no penalties attributed to them while being faster with over a second to spare, timed in 39.07 seconds.

Pénélope Leprevost (FRA) and Vancouver de Lanlore (Toulon x Le Tot de Semilly) were second to last to go in the jump-off , also riding a fast and very stylish round.  She temporarily took the lead, to the delight of the crowd.

Third place was claimed by Henk Van de Pol (NED) riding Looyman Z (Numero Uno x Wellington), doing it so by posting two penalty-free performances, the second one in 40.25 seconds.

It was a great day of top level competition here at the Sunshine Tour,  finishing off this CSI 4* week that paid out a total of €240.000 in prize money and that included the presentation of the “Jimny” car and its All Grip system by Suzuki.

Winner’s Circle

Holly Smith

“My horse is exceptional, this is the first Grand Prix that we have won together and I am delighted with him. There was a long gallop to an enormous upright, followed by a very tight turn back afterwards and I was unsure if I should do one or two strides.  But I went for one stride knowing I had to go for it if I wanted to win.  It turned out well!”

Source: Press release (edited) from Sunshine Tour

Photo: © Sunshine Tour