Vejer de La Frontera, Spain – September 11, 2020 – On another a hot and sunny day in Andalucia the Big Tour’s €25,400 Speed Challenge CSI 3* was held in the main grass arena with 34 combinations competing to take the top spot and add to their Longines Ranking points.  This was a big 1.45m class and the course was extremely testing. 

The Spanish rider, Eduardo Álvarez Aznar (ESP) was eighth to go which was relatively early on in the class, and rode an extremely neat and fast clear that showed off the ringcraft and talent of both horse and rider. His horse, Seringat (Chef Rouge HN x Guillaume Tell) and Eduardo finished in 63 seconds dead; which at the time seemed as if it would be hard to beat and proved to be as combination after combination tried, and fell short. 

When the German rider Nicola Pohl (GER), entered the ring late on in the class, it was clear that she meant business.  Riding the mare Baronescha, (Verdi x Concorde, she stopped the clock in 62.04 seconds and flew towards first place.  The American rider Julie Welles (USA), who had a very successful day today, also jumped a very neat, fast clear round that placed her and Undercover (Luidam x Le Tot de Semilly) in to third place with a time of 66.06 seconds.

For full results, please click here.

Source: Press release (edited) from the Sunshine Tour

Photo: © Sunshine Tour / Moises Basallote Fotografia