IRELAND’S Jason Foley rode Casia Z to win the two-star 1.35m two-phase special class at the Andalucia Sunshine Tour on Sunday, when the pair jumped double clear in a phase two time of 30.77 seconds.

There was a large start list of 56, with 20 combinations managing to jump double clear rounds. Foley’s nearest rival was Brazil’s Felipe Amaral on Diferencio van het Lindenhof Z, who stopped the clock almost a second slower than the Irish man in 31.60 and so had to settle for second place. The podium was completed by Chloe Winchester (GBR) on Chakensa PS in third (32.14).

Irish placings

Week four of the Andalucia Sunshine Tour at Vejer de la Frontera in Spain ran from Thursday, February 27th until Sunday, March 2nd and saw some good performances from Irish representatives.

Patrick Hickey on Florie de la Pierre placed sixth of the 28 starters in Thursday’s two-star 1.45m speed class at Vejer de la Frontera, when they jumped clear in 61.50 seconds.

In the day’s 1.20m Six-year-old class, Jason Foley and Eoin Brennan were both among the joint winners, each with two horses. Foley rode JM Forever Red and Castlefield Future, while Brennan’s mounts were Fernhill Sdf Five Star and GCS Angelina.

Friday’s two-star 1.45m class saw Jessica Burke on African Affair finish fifth of the 64 starters, when jumping clear in 65.87. The fastest of the 18 clear rounds was ridden by Britain’s Jodie Hall McAteer on Kimosa van het Kritrahof (63.54). Meanwhile, Alannah Grieve placed sixth in the day’s two-star 1.10m speed class riding Night Line, jumping clear in 63.26. There were 41 starters, with the win going to Bryony Jones (GBR) on Billy Kvitfjell (58.88).

Hickey finished on the podium in Saturday’s two-star 1.45m two-phase special class on board Florie de le Pierre, when they placed joint third, jumping double clear and clocking exactly the same phase two time as Britain’s William Fletcher on Quintine van d’Abdijhoeve (26.54). They were beaten by class winner Man Thijssen (NED) on Nero Z (24.87) and runner-up, Molly Hughes Bravo for Portugal, riding the Irish Sport Horse HHS Ice Flo (26.43).

The two-star 1.40m Small Grand Prix saw 10th place going to Brennan on Eskola M, when they were among the 10 of the 50 starters who jumped clear within the time allowed in round one.

Brennan withdrew and did not go in the jump-off. Meanwhile, Niamh Devlin on HHS Blue Moon placed ninth in the two-star 1.10m two-phase special, when they jumped double clear in a phase two time of 23.58.

Hickey and Down Under Z placed fourth in Sunday’s two-star 1.45m jump-off class. They were among the nine combinations who got through to the jump-off, where all but two faulted second time out.

Hickey finished with four faults in 39.65, not far off the time of Brazilian winner Pedro Veniss on CS Hortencia, who jumped double clear in 39.22. Burke on Good Star du Bary placed sixth with four faults in 41.52.

Foley and Castlefield Future took ninth place in the 1.25m Six-year-old class, when clear in 79.80, in a class where the top two places went to Sweden’s Lina Renstrom riding Madara 4 and True Label DC respectively.