The course, designed by Santiago Varela, set bar very high for all the riders taking part in it, with riders as talented as Sergio Álvarez Moya or Ludger Beerbaum who could not get their place in the final. Varela wants to “congratulate the organization for a super great job, because is not easy to hold the World Cup and the place is fantastic”.
In an exciting jump off, in which emotion was not lacking from beginning to end, Edwina Tops-Alexander won riding her new 10-year-old mare California with a time of 40.08 seconds in a very fast performance without any penalty. The audience could enjoy again with the Australian horsewoman after her rest of the competitions last year. Elena Orozco, Director of Longines in Spain, give to Edwina the trophy.
Edwina declares that “it's very exciting and a fantastic feeling” to win here and, about her mare she explains that “It is her second victory in a Grand Prix and although it’s always hard to compare we match and we are doing good things”. About the jumping show, Tops-Alexander said that Casas Novas has an “unbelievable atmosphere, it's always full house.”
Austrian Max Kühner finished second with Chardonnay 79, with a time of 42.33 seconds. The rider said that “it was a fantastic day” and he is happy because he “needs to catch up points for the final in Paris”. Finally, the Spanish rider Manuel Fernández Saro held on for third place with Cuidam and 43.89 on the clock.
Another riders that competed in the jump off were Sameh El Dahan, Robert Whitaker, Luz Felipe de Azevedo Filo or Maikel van der Vleuten.
Sara Salom Abeldo conquers her first competition, the Tyco Grand Prix
Another Spanish victory at Casas Novas where Sara Salom has won this afternoon the Tyco Grand Prix, the big test of the 2* contest. The Catalan horsewoman, on the back of Clear Concert, did not give her opponents an option in the jump off, with 40.06 seconds, more than three seconds over the following one. It was Galician rider Roi Calviño who competed supported by the local fans, although he could not get off the 43.81 seconds riding Enjoy. In the third place, the Belgian Celine Schoonbroodt-de Azevedo, who made a great time, 37.56, but made one takedown. Ricardo Arroyo, retail vice-president in Europe of Tyco gave her the trophy.
Salom could not debut better on her first visit to the equestrian center of A Coruña. In her assessment of the test, she had praise for Clear Concert: "The first round has been difficult, and in the jump off I took the risk of going to the double, I closed a lot. I have a horse that helps me a lot". The winner highlighted the presence of the audience in the stands, "because it is something that motivates you", and about the facilities: "the center is, without a doubt, the best indoor in which I have run" she said after the awards ceremony. About Roi Calviño, second classified “I am very happy for the good work of Roi, who is my friend".
Only 6 pairs were classified for the jump off, from a total of 34 that came out on track this time. In the fourth place was the Spanish Jesús Torres, with Orphee du Breche, and fifth was Joel Vallés Rosel, riding Seneca de Panoly. The bad news of the test was the injury of Mariel Victoria Aguirre's horse that had to be retired from the competition with an injury.