Today the showgrounds of Equestrian Centre Oliva Nova kicked off yet another Mediterranean Equestrian Tour, the Autumn MET. Over the next four weeks the amazing facility hosts a series of CSI1* and CSI2* Events and attracts riders from all over Europe. Traditionally the first day started with the future prospects from five to seven years of age. In MET style the first classes for the young horses are purely based on penalties, and primarily aiming on giving the youngsters a good start into the Tour. Class for 5-year-old horses The 5-year-olds competed at a height of 1.15m and almost half of the competitors finished on a shared first rank. 26 out of 55 combinations stayed clear over the fences, another five came home with only a time penalty. The British riders Tom Hollins and Anna Wilks had a promising start in this class by guiding both their horses they competed with to a clear result. More results here. Class for 6-year-old horses Also the 6-year-olds presented themselves in good shape on their first day in Oliva. With 35 clear rounds out of 59 competitors in total, quality is assured for the future. The youngsters born in 2011 were to jump a 1.25m - course. Michael Hughes (USA), Jennifer Pedersen (DEN), Ioli Mytilineou (GRE), Harald Boisset (FRA), Michael Wittschier (GER), Silvia Bazzani (ITA) and Vincent Voorn (NED) were among the riders placing multiple horses on the shared 1st place. More results here. Class for 7-year-old horses The 7-year-old show jumpers wrapped it up on the first day of the Autumn MET and 22 horses were listed on a shared 1st place. Again a couple of riders managed to cross the finish line in this 1.35m - course without penalties not only on their first but also on their second ride. Among them Germany's Katharina Offel, Jenny Rankin for Ireland and Felix Maccartney for Great Britain. More results here.
