The Spanish Jumping team send France's team back home empty handed as they took the victory for a second time in a row in the Nations Cup of the Sunshine Tour! Chef d'Equipe Carolo López Quesada was there last year, too as was Teresa Blazquez-Abascal who secured Spain's victory once again on Nasa de Toxandria (Vertigo Saint-Benoit). The team was completed by Alberto Marquez Galobardes with Aldo du Manoir (Iowa), Manuel Fernandez Saro with Ezilis du Mesnil (Qlassic Bois Margot) and Eduardo Alvarez Aznar with D'Orient Batilly (Numero Uno).
Only the top eight teams from the first round competed in the second round. The provisional top three, which were the United States, Spain, and France, had 4 penalty points each. France and Spain maintained their scores after the final round, with Eduardo Alvarez Aznar and D'Orient Batilly (Numero Uno) for France and Jacob Pope with the KWPN stallion Highway Fbh (Plot Blue) for the United States both accumulating four penalty points, resulting in a total of 8 points for the United States.
Therefore, the victory would be determined by a jump-off. France sent Marie Demonte and the 9-year-old Epona du Quesnoy (Ogrion des Champs) back into the ring. The duo had no faults in both rounds, but the tiebreaker had a different outcome, leaving them with four penalty points. The Spanish rider Teresa Blazquez-Abascal knew what she had to do with the BWP mare Nasas de Toxandria - stay faultless! The 10-year-old daughter of Vertigo Saint-Benoit kept the jumps up and secured the victory for the Spanish team!
Belgium finished in fourth place, followed by Ireland.
Photo©: Sunshine Tour