The British contingent has swept the board during the first week of the Spanish Sunshine Tour sealing victories in almost all classes across big tour, small tour, young riders and the owners’ classes. The competition, which takes place at Vejer de la Frontera in Spain, consists of three consecutive CDIs from 1 – 21 March 2010.
Carl Hester and Sasha Stewart’s nine-year-old Dutch-bred Metall stallion Uthopia (pictured) impressed on the pair’s first international big tour appearance. They headed the grand prix with a strong 71.10% only to follow it with a spectacular 73.83% in the grand prix special. Second spot was filled by Maria Eilberg and her 2009 European Championship partner Two Sox on 68.83%.
“Uthopia was absolutely fantastic, he has awesome potential,” said Hester. “With Liebling moving on he has big shoes to fill and he’s doing just that.”
Saturday’s competition was cancelled due to seriously bad weather resulting in classes spilling over to Monday. “The weather’s been grim but it’s been a good test for the horses,” explained Hester “Uthopia has coped amazingly and I was thrilled with both our tests. The grand prix special really suits him - he has a fantastic passage and extended trot and the judges were extremely complimentary.”
Uthopia’s stable mate Valegro ridden Charlotte Dujardin also had an outstanding debut at their first international. Dujardin and Valegro, Carl Hester and Roly Luard’s eight-year-old son of Negro, scored a small tour double winning a prix st georges with 72.54% and the intermediate I with 71.75%.
“Charlotte is riding with great maturity,” said Hester “She rises to all challenges and Valegro attracts so many people.”
2007 Pony European team member Emily Harris, 18, scored a hat-trick in the young rider classes. With Judith Sharrock’s Washington 103, a 15-year-old Walt Disney gelding, Harris won the young rider preliminary, team and individual tests with 68.79%, 68.15% and 68.15% respectively. Her contemporaries are also posting good results; the top five positions in the young rider preliminary all being filled by Brits.
The Eilberg family has had great success on the first leg of the tour. As well as Maria’s high grand prix placings, Michael Eilberg and Marakov won the intermediate II, the first international at this level for Michael and the ten-year-old Latvian gelding. They scored 67.84% to edge ahead of Danish born Henriette Andersen and Louis D’Or in second. Their younger horses are also showing good form; Maria with Woodlander Rockstar and Michael with Woodlander Dornroschen have dominated the owners’ classes, sharing the top two places in all three.
Source: British Dressage
Related Links
Scores: 2010 Sunshine Tour - Week One
The 2010 Sunshine Tour, a Top Event with International Flair
Photo Report - 2009 Sunshine Tour