Mena, Bacariza, Castilla, Carrascosa Win Gold Medals at 2026 Spanish Dressage Championships

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2026 Spanish Dressage Championships

-- Text and Photos © Lily Forado, edited by Eurodressage

Under 25 rider Natalia Bacariza Danguillecourt and senior Spanish Olympians Jose Antonia Garcia Mena, Claudio Castilla Ruiz and Borja Carrascosa became the gold medal winners at the 2026 Spanish Dressage Championships on 4 - 9 June 2026.

From Barcelona to Murcia

Initally the Barcelona Polo club was supposed to host the 2026 Nationals, but an outbreak of strangles forced the organizers to cancel the event. The Spanish federation relocated them to the Rios Equestrian Center in Murcia, where championship classes were held at small tour, Under 25 and big tour level alongside the para championships and youth riders team selection classes (Selection Masters).

The competition runs from 8:30 in the morning until very late, often in relentless heat, so the week became a true marathon for riders, horses, officials, journalists and organisers alike. Managing +200 horses across different championships and selection events was no small feat and the overly packed programme with simultaneous classes makes one question the impact of the show. It becomes almost impossible to give every rider, horse and performance the attention they deserve and the federation should really consider separating the Big Tour Championship from the Selection Masters on different dates altogether.

The Heat Was On

It was an intense week of competition, running from Tuesday through Sunday in true Spanish summer heat, with boiling temperatures reaching 35°C by mid-morning and prize-giving ceremonies finishing late into the evening (11:30 pm)

For senior riders the championships represented far more than a national title; they were the first major selection trial on the road to the FEI World Championships in Aachen later this summer. For the youth, the challenge was equally demanding, as the championships traditionally coincide with university exams, forcing many riders to balance elite sport with some of the most important academic commitments.

Small Tour: Gold on Canvas - Van Gogh Paints the Winning Picture

Thirty combinations entered the battle for national honour in the small tour division and the level of competition was exceptional. Much of the pre-championship attention focused on a potential battle between José Antonio García Mena vs Borja Carrascosa, but dressage rarely follows the script, with Natalia Bacariza and Carlos Bayo also firmly in contention for a podium place.

In the opening round, the Prix St. Georges, José Antonio García Mena and the 8-year old Oldenburg stallion Van Gogh PS (by Vitalis x Furstenball) maintained their golden streak throughout the season, meaning every single appearance in the arena has resulted in a victory. The bay stallion, who is owned by Dressage Top and was crowned Spanish Champion in the 7-year-old category last year, has it all: beauty, movement, and quality. In the arena, he moves as if a painter were gently brushing colour across a canvas. The pair claimed victory in the Prix St. Georges (73.117%), the Intermediate I (73.412%) and the Kür Freestyle (79.600%), completing a flawless championship hat-trick. Their freestyle included a medley of pop songs from the 2010s; like Maroon 5 and Alan Walker's Faded. With an overall total of 226.129 points, Mena secured yet another national Small Tour title, his 5th so far.

“It is a great joy to achieve these results at this championship. They are the outcome of the daily work in the stable," Mena explained. "Van Gogh, on the one hand, represents a huge responsibility for me as rider. Horses like him are extremely rare in a rider’s lifetime. As riders we always dream of finding that horse who can take us to important places and when they do arrive, it comes with great responsibility. You start working with a young horse of this quality, and without even realizing it, you begin to dream about how far you can go. And when the results start to come, every show becomes a new challenge, and the responsibility only grows. Every time you enter the arena, expectations are there.

Silver went to Natalia Bacariza and her long-time partner Romántico Ymas, a 16-year old Hanoverian by Belissimo M), which she took from juniors through young riders and into the senior small tour division. Bacariza performed three consecutive second-place finishes. Particularly impressive were Romántico's expressive trot work and powerful uphill flying changes. Scores of 72.883% in the Prix St. Georges, 72.323% in the Intermediate I and 76.180% in the freestyle secured a well-deserved silver medal.

Bronze was awarded to Borja Carrascosa and the 9-year old Hanoverian stallion FS Bloomberg (by Bon Coeur x Don Index). Still relatively new as a partnership, the pair improved throughout the championship. They scored 70.029% in the PSFG, 71.471% in the Inter I, and 75.855% in the Kur to Music.

U25: Natalia Bacariza In her own League

The ninth edition of the Spanish U25 Championship assembled twelve riders. The 24-year old Natalia Bacariza emerged as the undisputed star of the championship, concluding both her first and final season in the division with a remarkable double victory, claiming gold in both the technical championship (Inter II) and artistic championship (freestyle).

After last competing in a Spanish Youth Championship in 2022, Bacariza returned to the national stage in spectacular form. The rider, who commutes between Spain and Wellington, Florida, proved untouchable throughout the week, winning all three classes along the 11-yer old black Westfalian stallion Valerius Ymas (by Vitalis x Dancier): the Intermediate II with 70.265%, the U25 Grand Prix with 70.205%, and the Kür Freestyle with an impressive 76.975%.

Natalia Bacariza Danguillecourt on Valerius Ymas

It was the perfect farewell to the youth ranks. Bacariza closed this chapter of her career with a hattrick. She was crowned Spanish Junior Champion in 2018 and 2019, and now in 2026 she adds the Spanish U25 title to her growing collection of gold medals.

“Winning the gold medal at the Spanish U25 Championships has, in a way, been the most rewarding gold medal because of the time and effort it has taken me to get here," Natalie explained. "Six months ago I never thought I’d be scoring over 70% every single day at the Spanish Championships, let alone winning every class in the U25 division. I couldn’t be prouder or happier with the work we’ve done as a team to get here, especially with the help of my trainer Pablo Gomez."

The silver and bronze medals in both the technical championship and the freestyle were awarded to Teresa de la Puerta Valdecantos with the 11-year old Hanoverian bred Anum Concesur (by August der Dritte x Rover) and Pablo García with Juan Antonio Jimenez' 10-year old KWPN bred Let It Go T (by Tiesto x Spielberg).

Senior Technical: Castilla Nabs First Title

The Big Tour Championship was undoubtedly the headline act of the week. In Spain two sets of medals are awarded.. The "technical championship" is no longer decided by the Grand Prix and Special added up, but since 2024 follows the German system with the Grand Prix as a qualifier for the Special (top 30 moves to the Special) and the Special alone decides the medal. A new set of medals goes to the top three of the "artistic" round (GP Kur to Music).

Throughout the winter, Spain's leading riders followed different competition schedules, meaning Murcia would provide the first real opportunity where they measured themselves against one another. While many expected a duel between Mena vs Carrascosa, it was Claudio Castilla who ultimately emerged as the championship's defining figure.

The Grand Prix, ridden in boiling temperatures, featured 35 combinations battling to qualify for the Grand Prix Special. As the level steadily increased, Castilla and the 12-year old Lusitano stallion Jota Das Figueiras (by Epico das Figueiras x Quixote) delivered the winning performance with 72.500%. The Olympic rider impressed particularly in the trot tour, presenting a very confident test.

First Title and gold for Claudio Castilla

The Grand Prix Special proved to be the first battle for the individual medals. Castilla raised the standard even further, producing a polished and technically secure performance highlighted by expressive passage work and seamless transitions. His winning score of 73.681% earned him the gold medal and the national title.

"Winning the Spanish Championship, both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special has been hugely satisfying, mainly because it reflects months of consistent and detailed preparation," Claudio commented. "We approached the championship very carefully, paying attention to every detail, and arrived with two strong horses: Jota das Figueiras and Hi Rico do Sobral. The goal was to deliver our best performance with both, and I believe we arrived in excellent form. With Jota we were able to fully realise the work done throughout the season and achieve the result we had been aiming for. This victory carries even greater meaning given the recent change in ownership, with AMS becoming the sole owner of the horse, making the moment even more special and motivating. At the same time, we also came in with high expectations for Hi Rico do Sobral, a horse with a very positive development trajectory. However, as we know in this sport, many factors influence performance and not all of them are controllable. That is part of working with horses and part of the beauty of the sport. For that reason, I also want to highlight his participation and thank his owners for their trust."

The GP Special podium: Mena, Castilla, Carrascosa

The victory carried special significance for Claudio Castilla. After years of consistently challenging his rivals for medals; including several silvers and bronzes at national level; the Andalusian rider finally captured his first Spanish Grand Prix Champion's title.

José Antonio García Mena claimed silver aboard 15-year old Lusitano Gladiador Do Lis (by Peralta Pinha) with 72.239% in the warm-up Grand Prix and 72.766% for second place in the Special. He also finished third with the 12-year old Luxembourg owned Hanoverian mare Quatre Quarts à L’Orange (by Quaterhall) on 71.681% but the rules dictate that only the rider's highest scoring horse gets a medal.

This made room for German based Borja Carrascosa and his 11-year old Hanoverian stallion Frizzantino (by Finest) to move onto the podium for bronze after posting 71.277% in the Special, which ranked them fourth.

Senior Kur: Gold for Borja Carrascosa

Sunday's Kür Freestyle provided a reset of the score board with a fresh set of medals to be won decided by th Kur to Music.

Borja Carrascosa and Frizzantino FRH were last to go and delivered a captivating performance set to a Madonna soundtrack, combining technical difficulty, artistic expression and the confidence that comes from years of indoor circuit (CDI-W). 2026 is Frizzantino's third season at international Grand Prix level. "It's like a dream, no end and no beginning, you're here with me, it's like a dream;" Madonna's lyrics could not better describe the partnership. Their piaffe and passage work stood out, while the crowd became an active part of the performance, clapping along during the final centreline. The test earned 77.810% and ultimately secured victory.

“I’m incredibly happy, and it was a huge joy and emotional moment to realise that we had won the freestyle gold medal again, one year later," said Borja about his second Spanish gold medal. "It was honestly a big surprise; I really wasn’t expecting it. I had a very good feeling on Frizzantino and knew he was in a great form, so I felt we could deliver a strong performance. I enjoyed every second of the test, and that gave me a lot of confidence and security. The applause from the crowd during the final centreline was an incredibly emotional moment. It gave me amazing energy to finish the test with a feeling I’ll never forget."

José Antonio García Mena and Gladiador Do Lis once again demonstrated why they remain one of Spain's most consistent and competitive Grand Prix combinations. The Olympic rider presented an emotional freestyle set to one of cinema's most iconic soundtracks: Hans Zimmer's score for Gladiator. It was a musical choice that perfectly reflected the story of perseverance and resilience shared by horse and rider throughout their journey. The performance was simply outstanding. Every stride carried intensity and purpose, but it was the piaffe that truly stole the show. There were transitions of extraordinary difficulty, including piaffe-to-canter and canter pirouette directly into piaffe, which drew enthusiastic applause from the spectators. When the final score of 77.445% appeared on the scoreboard, García Mena got silver

Claudio Castilla and Jota Das Figueiras continued their excellent week with a fluid and expressive freestyle, scoring 77.105% to complete a remarkable championship campaign ended up on third place.

Results - 2026 Spanish Dressage Championships - Murcia

Small Tour (top 18 - complete)
Rider - horse - PSG - Inter I - Inter I Kur --- total

1. José Antonio Garcia Mena - Van Gogh - 73.117 73.412 79.6 --- 226.129
2. Natalia Bacariza Danguillecourt - Romantico Ymas - 72.883 72.323 76.18 --- 221.386
3. Borja Carrascosa - Fs Bloomberg - 70.029 71.471 75.855 --- 217.355
4. Carlos Bayo Calvo - Me Too! - 71.794 69.823 73.75 --- 215.367
5. Aneta Nikolaisone - Frappuccino - 68.588 67.971 70.775 --- 207.334
6. Antonio Verdejo Pérez - Mambeau B - 67.0 67.882 71.95 --- 206.832
7. Sergio Moron Basoco - Quatro - 66.147 67.5 72.225 --- 205.872
8. Teia Hernandez Vila - Jordano De Trujillo - 67.441 67.441 70.83 --- 205.712
9. Jesus García Santos - Dalai Lama - 67.206 67.794 70.55 --- 205.55
10. Francisco Gil Ortiz - Roman Kp - 66.088 67.618 70.13 --- 203.836
11. Cristina Torrent Moll - Keano - 66.382 66.5 70.92 --- 203.802
12. Jon Oquiñena Ibisate - Gatano - 66.882 65.794 70.2 --- 202.876
13. Noelia Breva Adell - Fancy Boy - 65.912 67.412 68.355 --- 201.679
14. Abel Salguero Toro - Esbelto La Pasion - 66.882 65.059 69.385 --- 201.326
15. ulia Álvarez Abad - Vincenzo Bcn - 65.853 66.412 68.57 --- 200.835
16. Naiara Galindez Urquijo - Marklin - 67.294 65.735 67.335 --- 200.364
17. Rafael Segui Sintes - Furst Eschenhof - 67.676 65.324 66.565 --- 199.565
18. Pau Bosch Peon - Quincy - 66.823 65.824 65.395 --- 198.042

Under 25 - Technical
Rider - Horse - Short Grand Prix

1. Natalia Bacariza Danguillecourt, Ma – Valerius Ymas 70.205
2) Teresa De La Puerta Valdecantos, an – Anum Concesur 66.128
3) Pablo Garcia Cobos, Ma – Let It Go T 65.923
4) Jaime Gregorio Valero, AR – Rock It 65.180
5) Marta Villaescusa Bueno, Mu – Goerklintgaards Quantico 65.179
6) Francisco Javier Vázquez Vera, an – Quimico Jle Iii 64.333
7) Silvia Hernando Morant, CT – Sir Marq 64.000
8) Giovanni Torrens Bentz, CT – Euro Boy 63.821
9) Daniel Herranz Yubero, Ma – Fito 63.410
10) Michelle Chacon Sogorb, CT – Jiro R 63.102
11) Eva Gonzalo Garcia, Ma – Just Happy 59.615
12) Eva Ripoll Sanchís, VA – Romeo 56.821

Under 25 - Kur

1. Natalia Bacariza Danguillecourt, Ma – Valerius Ymas 76.975
2) Teresa De La Puerta Valdecantos, an – Anum Concesur 73.445
3) Pablo Garcia Cobos, Ma – Let It Go T 73.220
4) Silvia Hernando Morant, CT – Sir Marq 69.745
5) Giovanni Torrens Bentz, CT – Euro Boy 67.410
6) Daniel Herranz Yubero, Ma – Fito 67.275
7) Francisco Javier Vázquez Vera, an – Quimico Jle Iii 66.775
8) Marta Villaescusa Bueno, Mu – Goerklintgaards Quantico 66.030
9) Jaime Gregorio Valero, AR – Rock It 64.550
10) Michelle Chacon Sogorb, CT – Jiro R 64.260
11) Eva Gonzalo Garcia, Ma – Just Happy 64.190
12) Eva Ripoll Sanchís, VA – Romeo 62.725

Seniors - Technical
Rider - Horse - Grand Prix Special

1. Claudio Castilla Ruiz, Ma – Jota Das Figueiras 73.681
2) José Antonio Garcia Mena, an – Gladiador Do Lis 72.766
3) José Antonio Garcia Mena, an – Quatre-quarts a L' Orange 71.681
4) Borja Carrascosa, Cl – Frizzantino Frh 71.277
5) Alejandro Sánchez Del Barco, an – Onuba Tr 70.468
6) Pablo Gomez Molina, VA – Ulises De Ymas 69.872
7) Alfonso Gormaz Torcal, AR – Divina Royal 69.234
8) Teia Hernandez Vila, CT – Romero De Trujillo 69.021
9) Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo, Ma – Quartar 68.958
10) Carmen Gutierrez Cruz, Cn – North Tottem 68.255
11) Pablo Gomez Molina, VA – Servus Ymas 68.191
12) Jordi Domingo Coll, CT – I Am What I Am C by Mango 67.851
13) Antonio Jose Vázquez Quintero, an – Tormento Fsr Iii 67.638
14) Lucia Gallardo, CT – Hip by Jonhson 27 67.553
15) Agusti Elias Lara, CT – Imperio Bcn 67.425
16) Diana Ostariz Oliver, CT – Heraldo 66.830
17) Juan De Dios Ramírez García, an – Charro Azores 66.702
18) Abel Salguero Toro, an – Gasoso 66.553
19) Paula Matute Guimon, Ma – Delagronge 66.532
20) Daniel Roman Valderas, an – Importante Ii Kar 66.447
21) Adrian Roldan Narvaez, an – Floyd 66.255
22) Pedro Hernandez Triviño, Mu – Cupidon De Massa 65.851
23) Fransisco Benitez Sanchez, an – Lord Platinum 65.809
24) Alejandro Gomez Flores, an – Giraldo 65.500
25) Juan De Dios Ramírez García, an – Quarlito Von Nymphenburg 65.298
26) Cristian Tudela Ruiz, Ma – Shpectrum 64.702
27) Maria Gomez Guzman, an – Sir Olli Old 64.064
28) Sonsoles Roldan Martinez, Ma – Tailormade Lets´go 63.787
Susana Vazquez Mostaza, Ma – Franz Im Gluck - RET

Seniors - Kur to Music
Rider - Horse - Grand Prix Kur to Music

1. Borja Carrascosa, Cl – Frizzantino Frh 77.810
2) José Antonio Garcia Mena, an – Gladiador Do Lis 77.445
3) Claudio Castilla Ruiz, Ma – Jota Das Figueiras 77.105
4) Pablo Gomez Molina, VA – Ulises De Ymas 73.855
5) Alejandro Sánchez Del Barco, an – Onuba Tr 73.785
6) Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo, Ma – Quartar 73.370
7) Teia Hernandez Vila, CT – Romero De Trujillo 72.980
8) Alfonso Gormaz Torcal, AR – Divina Royal 71.720
9) Carmen Gutierrez Cruz, Cn – North Tottem 71.355
10) Antonio Jose Vázquez Quintero, an – Tormento Fsr Iii 71.230
11) Juan De Dios Ramírez García, an – Charro Azores 71.200
12) Pedro Hernandez Triviño, Mu – Cupidon De Massa 71.180
13) Paula Matute Guimon, Ma – Delagronge 70.505
14) Adrian Roldan Narvaez, an – Floyd 68.800
15) Abel Salguero Toro, an – Gasoso 68.150
16) Jordi Domingo Coll, CT – I Am What I Am C by Mango 67.920
17) Agusti Elias Lara, CT – Imperio Bcn 67.875
18) Daniel Roman Valderas, an – Importante Ii Kar 66.965