Iván Sáez Serrano and ‘El Punkto’ Win First Qualifier in the Absolute Spanish Championships

Competition for the long-awaited Absolute Spanish Championship began today in the David Broome Arena, where riders faced an exciting 1.50m chase class (C) on grass. The class was sponsored by the Ayuntamiento de Vejer and set the tone for what promises to be a thrilling championship.

Absolute Championship – Fast Start for Iván Sáez Serrano

Iván Sáez Serrano and ‘El Punkto’ took the victory with an impressive time of 75.86 seconds. Just over a second behind, Armando Trapote Mariscal and ‘Conthargo-Blue’ claimed second place, while Ricardo Jurado Narváez with ‘Zamarano Z’ finished third in 76.99 seconds.
Fourth place went to Julio Arias Cueva and ‘Explosion VH Legita Hof Z’, with Álvaro González de Zárate and ‘Casa Diva PS’ completing the top five.

In the provisional classification, times were converted into points, with the following standings:

• Iván Serrano – 0.00 points
• Armando Trapote – 0.51 points
• Ricardo Narváez – 0.57 points
• Julio Arias – 0.58 points
• Álvaro González de Zárate – 1.23 points

Young Riders – Victory for Juan Riva Gil

The Young Riders also competed earlier in the day in a 1.40m chase class.

• Juan Riva Gil and ‘Victoria D’Argent’ took first place with a lightning-fast time of 62.11 seconds.
• Emilio García-Torres Solano and ‘Undigo Vannetais’ were second with 68.07 seconds, including one pole down.
• Elena Appendino and ‘Pompei Van de Fruitkorf’ finished third with 68.98 seconds, also carrying one pole.

Classic Championship – González de Zárate Shines

In the Classic 1.40 section of the Championship, held in the Milton Arena, Álvaro González de Zárate took the top spot riding ‘Stakkaldato PS’, followed closely by Javier Gutiérrez Rilo with ‘Merina Star’. Armando Trapote Mariscal and ‘Matilda’ placed third.

The Classic 1.30 saw Gonzalo Menéndez Menéndez and ‘Uthope de la Roque’ win ahead of Marta Bartolomé Redondo with ‘Murano’, and Jaime Astolfi López with ‘Foyal de la Chenee’.

In the Classic 1.10, the top three were:

1. Cecilia Naveira Pazos with ‘Colterina RZ’
2. Rocío Sainz de Rozas de la Cámara with ‘Ingela del Maset’
3. Alexandra Woivre Gómez with ‘Et Voilá AW’

Young Horses – Promising Performances Across the Board

In the first 5-year-old Young Horse qualifier, an impressive 28 horses went clear.

The 6-year-old second qualifier (set at 1.35m verticals and 1.30m oxers) was won by ‘Atlanta de Ste Anne’ (‘Atlantic’ x ‘Chellano Z’) ridden by Luis Fernández Rey in 84.90 seconds.
Guillermo González Alonso and ‘Com Cerena SB Z’ were second, half a second behind, followed by Ana Carolina Sandoval Muñoz with ‘Oh my God’ in 86.02 seconds.
In the provisional standings, 13 horses remain on zero faults, with the rest on 4 faults, leaving the championship still wide open.

In the second qualifier for the 7-year-olds, victory went to ‘Nibali’ and Mariano Martínez Bastida in a fast 73.45 seconds, four seconds clear of ‘Nina Tilla’ with Jesús Garmendia Echevarría, and ‘Sir Grey Castanoo’ with Kevin González de Zárate in third.

Three horses now lead the provisional 7-year-old rankings on zero faults:

• ‘Pop Up’ – Álvaro González de Zárate
• ‘Kilahuea de Capellán’ – Santiago Núñez Riva
• ‘Nibali’ – Mariano Martínez Bastida

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow will see the first Championship Final for the 6-year-old Young Horses, along with second qualifiers for the Absolute, Young Riders, and Classic (1.40, 1.30, 1.20, and 1.10), as well as the 5-year-old Young Horses.

Sunshine Tour Press Release

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