WEEK six of the Andalucia Sunshine Tour (March 10th to 15th) at Vejer de la Frontera in Spain proved a happy hunting ground for the Irish over the weekend, with wins for Tyrone’s Niamh McEvoy and Kildare’s Michael Pender and numerous other good placings for Irish riders across a variety of classes.

Saturday was a good day for the Irish in Spain, highlighted by McEvoy’s win in the Medium Tour 1.50m two-phase special class riding the nine-year-old gelding Miro NS (Comme Il Faut x Contendro). The pair’s time of 35.18 was almost a second faster than runner-up Rogier Linssen (NED) on Commander Lux (36.13).

Pender was the Irish star of the Sunshine Tour on Sunday, when riding the nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Starfield Brighteye (Luidam x Starfield Primavera by Vivaldo van het Costerveld) to win the four-star WKD Medium Tour 1.50m Grand Prix. A total of 66 combinations lined out for the class, with 12 of them jumping clear within the time allowed for their chance to go against the clock. Seven pairings kept all the fences standing second time out, with Pender’s time of 35.73 being uncatchable - in fact, his nearest challenger Olivier Philippaerts (BEL) on Dixie Moon finished over two seconds behind in 37.98.

In the ribbons

Starting off well, Chloe Fenton on Rainbow TN was among the joint winners of the first division of Tuesday’s one-star 1.05m five-year-old class, while in the first division of the day’s seven-year-old 1.35m two-phase special class, Dermott Lennon was seventh on Offshore vd Watermolen and Jason Foley was 10th on JM Forever Red. In the second division, Lennon rode the Irish Sport Horse mare Loughview Tara Lou, bred by Judith Sossick, into fifth place.

On Wednesday, the one-star young horse eight-year-old 1.40m speed class saw Conor Drain finish eighth on Nadim van de Kruishorst, followed by Pender in 10th place on HHS Othello. Meanwhile, in the seven-year-old 1.35m class, Jessica Burke and Billy Super Trouper placed sixth; Grace McHugh on Laurens Beauty (ISH) was among the joint winners of the day’s five-year-old 1.10m class and Sean Monaghan rode Echo BW into ninth place in the first division of the six-year-old 1.20m two-phase special class.

Thursday started with a ninth place for Lennon on Kinmar Right On Time (ISH) in the 87-strong four-star Medium Tour 1.45m speed class. The rider went on to place fourth with Millview Cicero in the Big Tour 1.50m speed class, ahead of Tim Brennan on Diadema della Caccia in fifth and Niamh McEvoy on Rock’n Roll ter Putte in seventh.

Joanne Sloan Allen rode Liana into fifth place in the Big Tour 1.30m two-phase special class, while McHugh and Bawnluck Cleopatra was a joint winner of the day’s five-year-old 1.15m class, first division and the second saw Foley on Castlefield Paris, Greg Broderick on Vicento V and McHugh on Laurens Beauty sharing the win.

Kevin Gallagher and Saskia’s Boy placed seventh in the Medium Tour 1.30m speed class, with Ciaran Nallon placing eighth in the six-year-old 1.25m speed class on board Zados R.

Pender placed third in Friday’s Medium Tour 1.45m two-phase class with Thomascourt Victor (ISH), followed by Nallon on Dynar 3 in eighth place, while Shane O’Reilly and Lancer Luck were third in the Small Tour 1.40m speed class.

Runner-up

McEvoy rode Jargon DN into the runner-up position in the day’s Big Tour 1.50m speed class, with Pender on HHS Cyprus in sixth place. In the Junior 1.35m two-phase special class, Mischa Lennon rode Anthem in my Heart (ISH) into third place from a start list of 44.

In the day’s Medium Tour 1.35m two-phase special class, McHugh rode Cruising with Alice into fifth place. The eight-year-old 1.45m speed class saw Michelle Kenny on HSC Renee place ninth and Drain on Nadim van de Kruishorst in 10th, while Jodie Creighton and Smalltown Boy IV finished third in the one-star 1.20m two-phase special class.

Gallagher on Saskia’s Boy won the Small Tour 1.35m two-phase special class, with Burke on Rial’s Varinjo in eighth place.

Mischa Lennon on Anthem in my Heart won Saturday’s Junior 1.40m two-phase class, with Ella Kenny on Calle Cool in sixth and Arielle Allen on Kandice Z in seventh.

Jenny Dunlop on Questro Z placed 10th in the day’s Young Rider 1.45m two-phase class, while the one-star 1.20m speed class saw Charles O’Reilly Hyland on Penelope 31 finish as runners-up, with Ella Kenny on Ragazza di Flamenco in eighth.

Burke rode Rial’s Varinjo into second place in the Small Tour 1.35m speed class, followed by O’Reilly on Billy Hopper in fourth.

Sunday’s Small Tour 1.45m Grand Prix saw four Irish riders finish in the top five, with Richard Howley out in front, winning the class with Caprice d’Elle. Max O’Reilly Hyland on Rock Warrior placed third, followed by Drain on Kordon VDL in fourth and Burke on BWE Windsor in fifth. Portugal’s Joao Pedro Gomes on Candice van het Hulgenrode Z divided the Irish when slotting into second place.

1.55m Grand Prix

Pender and the 10-year-old gelding HHS Cyprus (ISH) (Cornet Obolensky x HHS Acorado by Acorado) placed fourth in the Stephex 1.55m Grand Prix, with Brennan on Diadema della Caccia in ninth place. Brazil’s Stephan de Freitas Barcha on Dinozo Imperio Egipcio claimed victory in the 49-strong class.

Mischa Lennon and Anthem in my Heart placed ninth in the Junior Sycamore Auction 1.40m Grand Prix, while in the Young Rider 1.45m Grand Prix, Dunlop and Questro Z finished eighth.

McEvoy rode Boleybawn Alvaro into second place in the Big Tour 1.45m speed class of 41 starters.

The one-star 1.25m jump-off class saw four Irish in the top eight - Alanna Keeling on Don Corleone 111 Z placed second, followed by Kenny on Ragazza di Flamenco in third and Charles O’Reilly Hyland on Penelope 31 in fourth. Fenton on Heldin placed eighth.

The Medium Tour 1.40m two-phase special class saw Shane Moloney place 10th with Marshmagic Rockasox, while the Small Tour 1.35m jump-off class saw Gallagher take second place on Saskia’s Boy, followed by Chloe Hughes Kennedy on Castlefield Hera in ninth.

Max O’Reilly Hyland on Zuper placed sixth in the Small Tour 1.40m two-phase special class, followed by Michelle Kenny on Mika in eighth. Meanwhile, the Medium Tour 1.35m two-phase special class saw McHugh finish third on Cruising with Alice, followed by Kenny on Sambuca H in seventh and O’Reilly on Billy Santandiago in 10th; Sloan-Allen on Liana placed sixth in the Medium Tour 1.30m two-phase special class.