A LARGE startlist of 59 combinations lined out for the highlight of the first week of jumping at Vejer De La Frontera in Spain, Sunday’s Clipmyhorse.tv 1.50m Grand Prix.

This didn’t phase Irish riders Michael Pender or Tom Wachman, who were both among the 10 combinations who made it round the demanding first-round course without penalty to get through to the jump-off.

This pair were also among the six clear jump-off rounds riding HHS Los Angeles and Obora’s Laura respectively. Pender’s jump-off time of 37.27 seconds could not be caught, with runner-up Mathieu Bourdeaud’Hui (BEL) on Oscar The Homage finishing in 37.68, followed by Wachman in third on 38.28.

A number of Irish riders had made their way to Spain for week one of the Andalucia Sunshine Tour, which got off to a great start on Thursday, October 17th, with Niamh McEvoy and BP Limitless runners-up in the day’s 1.40m class. Their time of 62.69 seconds was just a fraction behind the winner, Turkey’s Hasan Senturk on Forward TOI, who stopped the clock in 62.54.

Marta Hughes-Bravo rode Miss Belgium 111 to win the 1.30m class, while a number of Irish riders jumped clear in the six-year-old 1.25m class and the five-year-old 1.15m class.

Friday saw a top 10 placing for Alice Wachman and Thijssen SR Z, when they placed seventh in the 1.30m class. Pender and Highcross Violet won the day’s 1.40m class, when they were fastest of a huge 94 starters.

The day’s 1.20m Accumulator class saw a third-place finish for Gerard Campbell and Coldplay I, while Michelle Kenny and CFH Capri Hill were runners up in the five-year-old 1.15m class.

Top spot

The seven-year-old 1.35m class saw three Irish in the top 10, led by Jack Ryan, who took the top spot with Mondavi, followed by Pender on Madiva in sixth and Cameron Hanley on Matricia in eighth.

Five Irish graced the top 10 of the 1.45m class, with Francis Derwin in second place on board Flexi K, Pender on HHS Cyprus in fourth, Tom Wachman on Do It Easy in sixth, Nicholas Connors on Fornett of Emeraude in seventh and Max Wachman on Calox in ninth.

Saturday’s six-year-old 1.30m class saw more Irish domination, with the win going to Connors on Chellone Z, followed by Pender in third on HHS Othello, Seamus Hughes Kennedy on Digging in fourth, Shane O’Reilly on Derena Something Special in sixth and on Susan II in ninth.

The 1.35m class saw Pender in second on HHS Savanna, Kenny in third on Carrickadawson Womanizer and O’Reilly seventh on BWE Valdi Seeds, while the 1.40m Small Grand Prix saw Max Wachman place seventh with Berlux Z and Christopher Megahey ninth with Fuhrer of Maugre.

Kenny secured fifth place in the five-year-old 1.20m class with CFH Capri Hill, followed by O’Reilly and Bossa Nova Boy in sixth. The 1.45m class saw another good showing for the Irish with Hughes-Bravo third on HHS Figero, Tom Wachman fourth on Do It Easy, Pender fifth on HHS Cyprus and Derwin seventh on Destination of the Month Z.

Sunday’s 1.35m class saw a fifth-place finish for O’Reilly on BWE Special Rose and a sixth for Hughes Kennedy and Iron Curra. The six-year-old 1.30m class saw an Irish one-two, with Connors first with Chellone Z and Kenny second on Milla Van De Kapel; O’Reilly on Susan II followed them in seventh place.

Ryan and Mondavi were on top form and won the seven-year-old 1.35m class in a time of 56.68 seconds – more than three seconds ahead of their nearest challenger, Katharina Offel (GER) on Baloutina HB (59.74).

Campbell and Livio were seventh in the 1.10m class to conclude a very good show for Ireland.