What Happens to Horse Manure After It Leaves the Andalucía Sunshine Tour?

From Showground to Soil at VermiOrganic

Every spring, the Andalucía Sunshine Tour transforms the Dehesa de Montenmedio in Vejer de la Frontera into a vibrant city of horses. Thousands of competitors and grooms arrive from around the world to jump under the Andalusian sun. Yet behind the elegance and precision of the sport lies one of the most impressive — and least talked about — operations of the event: manure management.

While spectators admire the gleaming horses and immaculate arenas, an army of workers is busy collecting the tons of manure produced daily. But what happens to all that waste once it leaves the showground?

Just next door, the answer can be found at VermiOrganic, a pioneering local company that turns the Sunshine Tour’s manure into natural fertilizer — the very same compost that helps keep the show’s grass arenas famously green and healthy.

The Journey from Stable to Soil

During the event, manure and soiled bedding are collected multiple times a day from the stables and exercise areas. With more than 3,000 horses on site, that amounts to over 60 tonnes of organic material daily. The waste is stored temporarily in covered manure bays before being transported a short distance to VermiOrganic’s composting facility, located right beside the showground.

Nature’s Recycling: The VermiOrganic Process

At VermiOrganic, the manure begins its transformation through vermicomposting — a natural process where earthworms and beneficial microbes break down organic material into nutrient-rich humus. The mixture of manure and straw is carefully aerated and turned over several months, until it becomes dark, crumbly compost full of life.

This process not only eliminates waste but creates a powerful organic fertilizer that nourishes soils without chemicals. The finished compost is used by local farmers and gardeners — and, fittingly, returns right back to Dehesa de Montenmedio itself.

The Secret of the Green Arenas

The lush, resilient grass of the Sunshine Tour’s competition arenas isn’t just the result of good turf management — it’s also nourished by the very horses that compete on it. The compost created at VermiOrganic is used to fertilize the grass arenas, enriching the soil naturally and promoting deep, healthy root systems.

This closed-loop approach means the event’s waste directly sustains its own environment. The manure that leaves the stables one week returns later as the organic fertilizer that keeps Montenmedio’s famous green fields thriving year after year.

A Model of Sustainability

The partnership between the Andalucía Sunshine Tour and VermiOrganic is a perfect example of a local circular economy in action. Waste produced during the event never travels far, reducing carbon emissions and supporting local ecological initiatives. It’s sustainability in motion — clean, efficient, and beautifully simple.

Both organizations share the same philosophy: respect for the land, the horses, and the community that makes it all possible.

From Arena to Earth — and Back Again

When the final jump is cleared and the crowds drift away, the story of the Sunshine Tour continues quietly beneath the soil. The manure once destined for disposal becomes nourishment for new grass, new life, and next season’s competition.

In Vejer de la Frontera, even the waste doesn’t go to waste. Thanks to VermiOrganic, the Andalucía Sunshine Tour’s secret to success is not just in its sport , it’s in its soil.

Valentina Sozzi

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