Beauty and Quality on Display at 2023 SICAB: Elite SF de Eda and Gesoro Torreluna, the new World PRE Champions

Shows

2023 SICAB

-- Text and photos © Lily Forado

The 2023 edition of SICAB, the World Breeding Championships for PRE horses, came to a conclusion on Sunday 3 December with the grand finale in the morphology classes.

While dressage is celebrated in indoor arena 1 at SICAB, the world breeding championships in morphology take centre stage in arena 3 and brings afoot a highly enthusiastic crowd to support and root for their favourites. SICAB is the World Championships of the PRE horse and the morphology division is central to the event, steeped in a decade long tradition.

Functionality and Movement

The first great round of the week was the functionality class. Jaque Mater (by Desaire Mater x Elegido XXIII, bred by Yeguada Mater Christi and owned by Manuel Borge) and ridden by Olympian Claudio Castilla prevailed in the classification with the impressive score of 22.566. That result allowed him to be crowned as Functionality World Champion.

On Sunday, with very little to lose and a lot to win, the atmosphere in the bleachers of pavilion 3 was easy to feel and the silence was loud. All breeding and trainer effort of the season goes to these special awards: Best Movement Champions (Adult and Young Horse) and the Champion of the Show, both in Young and Adult Horse.

When it came to Best Movement, Fiesta de Centurion (by Poeta de Susaeta x Karanka CEN, bred by Yeguada Centurion and owned by Yeguada Aqualia) for the second year in a row prevailed and became World Champion of Movement for Young Mares.

As for World Champion of Movement for the Adult Mares, the winner for the second, consecutive time was Chispa Torreluna (by Oleaje x Mas Nitrogen - bred by Yeguada Torreluna and owned by Yeguada Maypol). Her presentation was superb: she “floated” as she trotted along the centerline with splendid elegance and skill.

The battle for the coveted title of World Champion of Movement for Stallions had the audience sitting on the edge of their seats! In the end, Serio de Moran (by Seni Riojano II x Carlo-Seni -owned by Yeguada Moran and bred by Yeguada Senillosa- was the overal winner that returned home with the distinguished honour.

Morphology Champions - Young and Adult

In the Youth divisions the World Filly Champion was awarded to Nefelibata JB II (by Atrevido Mango x Rociero de Torre - owned and bred by Yeguada Jimene Burgos). The Reserve World Filly Champion went to Doña MOR (by Duiker MOR x Gaucho MOR) from the Mexican farm, Yeguada Morerias. When it came to the colts, Morerias kept the golden strike and Dona MOR's one-year older full brother Cuauhtemoc MOR (by Duiker MOR x Gaucho MOR) became the World Colt Champion.

Along these same lines, but in the adult division, the first two classified in their respective sections fought hard for the much sought after title as World Champion Stallion and World Champion Mare. The group for the World Mare Champion included three impressive mares, but finally, and for a second consecutive year, Elite SF De Eda (by Alcalde Torreluna x Yaco de Torreluna), bred by Yeguada Torreluna and owned by Yeguada Entre Dos aguas, returned home with the sash as World Mare Champion. Primavera Bat II (by Bandolero BAT x Galileo TF) from Yeguada Batan was Reserve World Mare Champion.

The Adult Champion Final was the apex of all finals. Gesoro Torreluna (Section 8), Jalisco de Marengo (Section 10) and Dominante Torreluna (Section 12) battled it out and astonished the judges with their grandeur, beautiful conformation, mane and artistic beauty. Gesoro Torreluna (by Tesoro del Marengo x Remache XIII) from Yeguada Torreluna earned the desired honour as Absolute World Stallion Champion. The dark bay Jalisco de Marengo (by Duiker MOR x Trovador IX), a horse bred by Yeguada Valdeolivas and owned by Rancho el Marengo in California, maintained his place among the Champions thanks to the title as Reserve World Stallion Champion.

International stud farms have maintained their hold on the award as World’s Best Exhibitor. This year, this honour was for Yeguada Entre Dos Aguas . Yeguada Torreluna once again prevailed as World’s Best Stud Farm.