Armando Trapote’s Victory in the Grand Prix of the Pre Andalucía Sunshine Tour
James Whitaker placed second with Just Call Me Henry, and Sasha Barthe was third with Broceliande Du Lac.
Vejer, January 19, 2025. The first week of the Pre Andalucía Sunshine Tour concluded with a splendid victory for Armando Trapote and his ten-year-old horse Karl P (Carrera VDL x Burggraaf NV), owned by Yeguada Valbanera S.L. First to compete in a jump-off that featured eight horse-rider pairs, the winning duo approached the course with determination, completing it flawlessly in 41.89 seconds, a time that proved unbeatable by the other competitors. This marks another victory for Spain in the opening Grand Prix of the 2025 Andalucía Sunshine Tour.
Trapote described the victory as very special. “Karl is a fantastic horse, very fast and highly competitive. He is always ambitious and wants to win, so I need to control him a bit while trying not to interfere too much,” the rider explained.
Regarding the course, he added: “I really liked today’s design by Marcos Núñez. It was beautiful and very enjoyable for the horses.” “We have started the season very well. Next week, I plan to compete with another horse in the Grand Prix, Conthargo. I aim to prepare several horses for the GPs and give them the experience needed for the season,” concluded the day’s winner.
Second place went to James Whitaker, with a time of 42.26 seconds on Just Call Me Henry, a 10-year-old horse sired by the legendary stallion Argento, internationally renowned alongside rider John Whitaker. Third place was claimed by Swiss rider Sasha Barthe with Broceliande Du Lac, a descendant of Rock’n Roll Semilly Persan II. Fourth in the highest category of the day, held on the main sand arena Milton, was Kendra Claricia Brinkop with Naf Naf, followed by British rider Chloe Winchester with Korlenski.
Chloe Winchester had a brilliant day, winning the 1.35m category with a special two-phase format, riding Kadermie Van De CrumelHaeve in 23.90 seconds. Second place went to compatriot Chad Fellows with NPS Klooney in 25.15 seconds. Third was German rider Jens Baackmann with Ay Caramba Z; fourth was Danish rider Cecilie Tofte with Chadita, and fifth was Belgian rider Stephanie Andries with Dilithy De Spalbec Z.
In the 1.30m category, Lisa-Marie Arvai emerged victorious with Chakilly Z in 24.52 seconds, pushing Chloe Winchester into second place with Chakensa PS at 24.90 seconds. Helmut Schönstetter with Kurt D Z, Swedish rider Antonia Andersson with Marola, and Spanish rider Carolina Aresu Obregon with Melvin N completed the top five of the category.
Spanish riders dominated the 1.25m category, with Jaime Astolfi winning on Land Ho Mister Mars and Mario Peña Sanchez taking second place with Roxette HT. Completing the podium were Swedish rider Steffi Theiler with Verona Z, Maia Pictet with Nicky Blue Z, and Ruedi Müller with Cayenne Fleur SW Z.
Swedish rider Sara Forslin won the 1.15m category with Cidfire EN, followed by Spanish rider Jose Antonio Garcia Diana with Conchita PS and Swiss rider Ruedi Müller with Cassidy L CH.
In the young horse competition, Spanish rider Mickey Seaquest triumphed in the seven-year-old category with Leonard T&L Z (Lavallino Ter Klomp x Richeboug, owned by Jana Etzel), marking a brilliant week of competition. German rider Helmut Schönstetter took second place with De Luxe De Plaisir (Diamant De Plaisir x Contract), while British rider Alfie Bradstock was third with Arizona Ospa Z. Completing the top spots were Armando Trapote with Arezzo de Llamosas and Schönstetter again, this time with Chagrandina PS.
The six-year-old category was won by Belgian rider Cassandra Malherbe, who took both first place with Like A G6 MKM Z and third place with Lou Van Het Eikenhof Z. French rider Mathilde Longy placed second with Jupiter Du Terral.
Thus concludes the first week of the Pre Andalucía Sunshine Tour, an event sponsored by the Andalucía Tourism Board and the Provincial Council of Cádiz. The competition will resume next Thursday with a new CSI2* and an international competition for young horses.
Source Andalucía Sunshine Tour – Press release | Photo by Moisés Basallote
© Rights Reserved.
