Flanagan Elton, Secret CS, Sick-Sack, Me Too!, Loriot Win the 2024 Spanish Young Horse Championships

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2024 Spanish Young Horse Championships

The 4-year old Flanagan Elton, the 5-year old Secret CS, the 6-year old Sick-Sack, and the 7-year old Me Too! and the Developing Prix St. Georges horse Loriot became the winners of the 2024 Spanish Young Horse Championships held in Vejer de la Frontera on 10 - 13 October 2024.

The start of the Championships was heavily disrupted by torrential downpours of rain which flooded all the arenas and turned them into ponds. It caused severe delays in the programme and young horses had to test their water skills going through puddles and dealing with splashing water in the first round.

4-YO: Flanagan Elton

The last few years Spanish Under 25 rider Sergio Moron Basoco has been showcasing youngsters at the Spanish young horse Championsips which he bought as foals in Denmark. His newest champion is the 4-year old Danish warmblood Flanagan Elton (by Farrell x Zack) which he rode to the title in the 4-year old division. The pair placed fourth in the preliminary round with 79.80 but topped the board in the finals with 83.10 points for the overall win. In the finals the horse got 9 for walk 8.2 for trot, 8.5 for canter, 7.7 for submission and 8.4 for perspective. He got a 0.5 subtraction because the bell signal in a nearby arena was misinterpreted.

The silver went to Juan De Dios Ramírez García aboard the Hanoverian licensed stallion Vital (by Vitalis x Spörcken). The pair won the preliminary round with 80.40 points and were third in the finals with 82.60 points but landed overall in second place. Vital sold at the 2022 Hanoverian stallion licensing for 120,000 euro to Yeguada Cuevas Bajas.

The bronze was for Vivian Lubomirova Portokalska aboard the Hanoverian bred Fabulous (by Fusionist x Bonifatius). This duo ranked sixth in the first round with 79.40 points and climbed its way up the ladder to a second place in the final round with 82.800 points to finish third overall.

5-YO: Secret CS

A very interesting combination rose to the top of the board in the 5-year old division: Alba Abollo Fontela on the CDE bred Secret CS (by Secret x Delinger). The pair was selected to compete at the 2024 World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo but ended up not going after a dispute between the president of ANCADES (CDE studbook) and Secret's owner Julio Grande. Secret CS stayed home from Ermelo. The fact that he won the National Championships shows how great a pity it was that personal communication errors could not be resolved for the benefit of Spanish dressage sport.

Abollo and Secret CS were the reserve champions in the 4-year old division in 2023 and now renewed their title as 5-year olds. They won the preliminary round with 87.40 points and dominated the finals test with 83.8. The black stallion got 8 for walk, 8.4 for trot, 8.6 for canter, 8.2 for submission and 8.7 for perspective.

Both silver and bronze went to one rider: Manuel Pérez Valle. He piloted the Dubai owned and British bred stallion Sama Jumeirah KAR (by Valverde) to silver after placing second in the preliminary test (83.20 pts) and fourth in the finals (77.60 pts). Aboard the Dubai owned Oldenburg stallion Nathan (by Negro x ??) he finished third overall after placing 15th (!!) in the preliminary round with 75.20 points and veering to second place in the finals with 81.60. The Dubai company behind these horses is KAR Dressage LLC of the Al Rostamani transport family with its office near Port Rashid.

Last year's 4-year old champions - Carlos Bayo and the Hanoverian bred Zeihar (by Blue Hors Zackerey x Falsterbo) - were eliminated in the first round after blood was spotted on his right nostril, and he did not move on to the Finals.

6-YO: Sick-Sack

Nineteen 7-year olds competed in the preliminary round and 18 moved on to the finals. Last year's gold and silver medallists swapped places this year with Carlos Bayo riding the KWPN bred Me Too (by Toto Jr x Metall) taking gold this time. They were second in the preliminary test with 74.575% and won the finals with 77.081%. The horse got 7.9 for walk, 8.2 for trot, canter and submission, and perspective. His technical test score was 73.143%

Last year's 6-year old champions, Alejandro Oliva and the Dutch warmblood Mr. President STH (by I’m Perfect STH x Voice, bred by the Dutch Grand Prix rider Denise Nekeman), was good for silver. They were fourth in the preliminary round (73.475%) and second in the Finals round (75.434%).

WCYH participants Cristina Torrent Moll and the CDE bred Dinna Marq (by Rio Marq) got bronze. They won the preliminary round with 74.857% but dropped to third place in the finals with 74.224%.

Developing PSG: Loriot

In the Developing Prix St Georges horse division for 8 and 9-year olds, 25 pairs competed in the first round, the Young Riders Preliminary Test, and 18 moved on to the Young Riders Kur to Music.

Seasoned Spanish team rider José Antonio García Mena rode Carlos Ruzafa's KWPN stallion Loriot (by Trafalgar x Johnson) to the title after placing second in the preliminary round (69.750%) and winning the freestyle (75.165%). The pair was already third in the small tour criterium at this year's Spanish Dressage Championships.

Antonio José Vázquez Quintero and Nadia Joosen's Belgian bred Quappuccino Van De Nethe (by Fernando Torres x Samarant) were third in round 1 (69.438%) and moved into second place in the Kur (73.750%) to get silver.

Former Under 25 rider Júlia Álvarez Abad steered Beatriz Ferrer-Salat's Oldenburg Vincenzo (by Vincent Maranello x Dancier) to bronze. They won the first round with 70.344% but dropped to fifth place in the Kur with 72.625%. The stallion was previously shown by Luis Soto Sanchez, who finished 13th with him at the 2022 Spanish Young Horse Championships in the 6-year old division.

Photos © Lily Forado

Results - 2024 Spanish Young Horse Championships - Vejer

Editor's note: Just like we complained the past two years, we'll repeat it again: for a national young horse championships, it is sad to see how little accurate pedigree info was available via the official score website. Dam sires were never mentioned, and half the time the sire and breeder info was absent. Also their displaying of overall scores makes no sense to the reader. The scores of the preliminary and finals round are displaying in a point system that nobody understands. See below and good luck figuring it out!

4-year olds

1. Sergio Morón Basoco - Flanagan Elton - 119.7 166.2 --- 285.9
2. Juan De Dios Ramírez García - Vital - 120.6 165.2 --- 285.8
3. Vivian Lubomirova Portokalska - Fabulous - 119.1 165.6 --- 284.7
4. Roberto Carlos Cruz Rodríguez - Vivamos 120.6 159.6 --- 280.
5. Cristina Torrent Moll - Delacroix 120.0 159.2 --- 279.2
6. Pablo García Cobos - Zorba 117.3 161.4 --- 278.7
7. Magín Mateu López - Quater Sand Del Pinar 116.7 159.2 --- 275.9
8. Cristofol Marquès Llorens - Pastrocio 116.4 156.4 --- 272.8
9. Albert Rigo Caldentey - Saraswati 119.4 152.8 --- 272.2
10. Paloma Parga Manzano - Fonseca 114.0 154.0 --- 268.0
11. Judith Saques Spahni - Bossanova 117.3 150.4 --- 267.7
12. Rafael Adrián Heredia Muñoz - Samoa Sn 114.15 152.0 --- 266.15
13. Francisco J. Álvarez Fernández - Silhouette in Black 111.6 152.4 --- 264.0
14. Joaquín Sabater Almela - Pavaroti 114.6 147.0 --- 261.6
15. Fernando Ariza Lobato - Padua De Encinasola 112.5 148.8 --- 261.3
16. Sara Lewin Ohlenschläger - Fanfarron De Vida 111.3 147.2 --- 258.5
17. Aridane Alonso Santana - Pasquino 113.7 144.4 --- 258.1
18. Alberto Muñoz Carrero - Poldark Turfhorst 114.3 141.2 --- 255.5

5-year olds

1. Alba Abollo Fontela - Secret Cs - 131.1 167.6 --- 298.7
2. Manuel Pérez Valle - Sama Jumeirah Kar - 124.8 155.2 --- 280.0
3. Manuel Pérez Valle - Nathan - 112.8 163.2 --- 276.0
4. Roberto Carlos Cruz Rodríguez - Van Helsing 123.0 150.4 --- 273.4
5. Alfonso Gormaz Torcal - Dawson's Creek 120.6 150.8 --- 271.4
6. Bernat Barrachina Vaquer - Elvis 118.8 151.6 --- 270.4
7. Ferran Serra Simón - Batchelor Wl 117.0 152.8 --- 269.8
8. Jordi Domingo Coll Ole - Guapa-w 111.6 156.8 --- 268.4
9. Paloma Parga Manzano - Ohio 115.2 152.4 --- 267.6
10. David De Castro Gomez-serranillos - Theresa-dn 114.15 152.0 --- 266.15
11. Veray Baz Del Prado - Lady De Baz 113.1 151.2 --- 264.3
12. Manuel Pérez Valle - Faye Kar 114.6 148.8 --- 263.4
13. Henry Junior Brewah Granados - Ostara C&r 114.3 147.2 --- 261.5
14. Terhi Katrina Arponen - Deukalion Nobel 116.4 142.4 --- 258.8
15. Javier Bonmati Bohórquez - Pitagoras D Arcos 111.6 144.0 --- 255.6
16. José Alejandro Alcaide - Roda Diamond First 115.5 139.2 --- 254.7
17. Lorenzo Bernal Díaz - Siux 111.9 142.6 --- 254.5
18. Adrián Albarrán Martín - Sharma 111.9 131.2 --- 243.1

6-year olds

1. Sergio Morón Basoco - Sick-sack 128.1 172.8 --- 300.9
2. Sergio Morón Basoco - Quatro 120.0 165.2 --- 285.2
3. Cristina Wagemans Rovira - Newport Bcn 117.0 166.4 --- 283.4
4. Núria Vilà Pérez - Flotte Deern 116.1 166.8 --- 282.9
5. Joseph Robert Hunt - Druida De Centurion 114.6 156.4 --- 271.0
6. Antonio Vivancos Cervantes - Secret One 115.5 154.4 --- 269.9
7. Juan De Dios Ramírez García - Vivaldi De Nacarbel 115.5 151.2 --- 266.7
8. Sergio Morón Basoco - Fiona 117.3 149.2 --- 266.5
9. Hector Fernandez Alvarez - Lamborghini 110.7 155.6 --- 266.3
10. Carmen Gutiérrez Cruz - North Tottem 112.2 152.6 --- 264.8
11. Francisco Marqués Pascual - Kion Mt 112.2 149.6 --- 261.8
12. Lucas Elías Lara - Black Raven 107.7 147.6 --- 255.3
13. María Teresa Ortiz Carpintero Cea - Nobel Rh 104.4 145.2 --- 249.6
14. María Banegas Martín De Santa Olalla - Valegro De Susaeta 105.9 141.0 --- 246.9
15. Adrián Albarrán Martín - Zaphir 105.9 139.6 --- 245.5
16. Nora Katerina Brunswig - España Nick 104.4 134.8 --- 239.2

7-year olds

1. Carlos Bayo Calvo - Me Too! - 111.863 154.162 --- 266.025
2. Alejandro Oliva Lázaro - Mr President Sth - 110.212 150.868 --- 261.081
3. Cristina Torrent Moll - Dinna Marq - 112.286 148.448 --- 260.734
4. Juan Carlos Alanis Camero - Dafo 111.337 147.496 --- 258.834
5. Antonio Verdejo Pérez - Mambeau B 107.07 144.858 --- 251.928
6. Jaime Melgarejo Amian - Titanium (Miljardair) 109.653 141.324 --- 250.977
7. Sara Lewin Ohlenschläger - Finn Comfort 104.81 145.228 --- 250.038
8. Juan José González De Las Cuevas - Fragolino 104.595 143.486 --- 248.081
9. Alfonso Gormaz Torcal - Frederick 105.501 140.942 --- 246.443
10. Marta Villaescusa Bueno - Indian Girl 105.519 139.382 --- 244.901
11. Alba Blasco Moreno - Quintessence Ie 102.633 141.704 --- 244.337
12. Anna Peiró Policarpio - Dalai Lama 105.269 137.648 --- 242.916
13. Rafael Adrián Heredia Muñoz - Frido Sn 102.186 140.668 --- 242.854
14. Arturo Díaz Mellado - Maddok 100.517 139.448 --- 239.965
15. Idoia González Artetxe - Max Power B 104.097 134.172 --- 238.269
16. Manuel García González - Neron 100.048 132.476 --- 232.525
17. Alicia Márquez Bonny Merlot - Tarpania 101.127 131.344 --- 232.471

8-9-year olds

1. José Antonio García Mena - Loriot 104.625 148.33 --- 252.955
2. Antonio José Vázquez Quintero - Quappuccino Van De Nethe 104.157 147.5 --- 251.657
3. Júlia Álvarez Abad - Vincenzo Bcn 105.516 145.25 250.766
4. Antonio José Vázquez - Quintero Laurel 103.453 145.79 --- 249.243
5. Rafael Adrián Heredia Muñoz - Dimancier Sn 100.593 145.94 --- 246.533
6 Rafael Adrián Heredia Muñoz - L´avion Sn 102.188 144.33 --- 246.518
7. Alfonso Expósito Santiso - Drago 103.172 142.99 --- 246.162
8. María Culsan Pérez - Dario Cr 102.797 141.66 --- 244.457
9. Pablo García Cobos - Let It Go T 101.813 142.49 --- 244.303
10. Rafael Adrián Heredia Muñoz - Semino Sn 101.297 142.95 --- 244.247
11. José Manuel Lucena Estrada - Latino Jav Ii 99.468 141.5 --- 240.968
12. Lluna Besolí Vilaró - Donovan 102.282 138.53 --- 240.812
13. Rafael Adrián Heredia Muñoz - Fabio Castello Sn 99.75 137.89 --- 237.64
14. Lluis Capilla Dengra - Kept Secret 98.298 139.28 --- 237.578
15. Teresa De La Puerta Valdecantos - Anum Concesur 97.875 139.7 --- 237.575
16. Henry Junior Brewah Granados - Talbot 101.297 135.94 --- 237.237
17. Francisco González Del Valle Corredoyra - Alcotan De Centurion 99.657 134.96 --- 234.617
18. Jesús Pascual León - Brio De Tucaballoandaluz 98.438 133.26 --- 231.698