The Andalucía Sunshine Tour finishes its XXXI edition with the participation of more than 3,600 hors

More than 70,000 people have visited the installations here since the 16th of January

More than 550 classes have taken place and more than 2.5 million euros were given out in prizes

The XXXI edition of the Andalucía Sunshine Tour came to its end yesterday after nine weeks of intense competition, with 1.200 riders and more than 3,600 horses from 50 countries having taken part in more than 550 classes here at the Montenmedio installations. This data has surpassed the predicted numbers for this year and reached a new record for numbers of participants in the event, which each year continues to grow.

Since the 16th of January Montenmedio has literally been the nerve center of European showjumping, allowing the outdoor season to start up when the North and center of Europe are still in the middle of their winter climates. This has always been the founding concept of the Sunshine Tour, which 31 years ago, Antonio Blázquez and the famous British rider, David Broome conceived and developed. Back then 200 horses took part and now this has risen to 3,600 thanks to the continued development and improvement of these spacious installations.

The Andalucía Sunshine Tour has become a key event for the very best riders in the world who can now count on numerous FEI, Longines Ranking classes and qualifiers for major competitions and championships in the equestrian calendar. The Tour also provides a great environment for Young Horses to develop and a superb site for trying, buying and selling horses at the start of the competition season.

The Tour is also an economic boost for all the La Janda area with the direct commercial impact estimated at 60 million Euros. 250 jobs are created which are directly linked to the Tour and some 1,400 indirect jobs in the local area. There are innumerable hotels, rental properties and hostels restaurants etc; who open their seasons early to meet the demands of more than 14,000 people who come during the Tour, many are accredited; riders, teams, judges, stewards, support staff and family members. This creates a clear extension to these businesses out of their normal tourist season and this year, and with 70,000 spectators visiting and enjoying the locations around the Tour a very substantial economic boost.

The actual impact on the sport is also very strong, this year there have been six International showjumping events at 4*, two at 3* and one at 2*, as well as nine Young Horses events for the 5, 6, 7 and 8yr olds.

The penultimate weekend there was a CHIO for Children, Juniors and Young Riders which included three Nations cups. This is a pioneering initiative and has generated great expectations and illusion in these young sportspeople as they trained and competed in the same arenas as many of their idols, a chance to see and met these famous International riders.

This year International Dressage also returned to the event here, with some of the top riders from the Spanish elite, such as José Antonio García Mena and Beatriz Ferret-Salat, gracing the arenas.

Even with this intense calendar there were also some fun events for the public to enjoy, such as the Jump & Drive where the riders negotiate a small course, dismount and drive a circuit in a vehicle, where accuracy and speed dictate the winner. A really fun class with lots of memorable moments, laughs, and a very supportive and enthusiastic crowd.

“After the celebrations last year on our 30th anniversary, we were looking forward to this year with great enthusiasm. Despite adverse weather here, we managed to hold all of the classes that were scheduled, thanks to the quality and the technology of the all-weather surfaces in our sand arenas, whose efficiency we can always guarantee and trust in. This edition has been especially complex for this reason, but once again the installations here, demonstrated that they are fantastic and that we could guarantee both that competition would continue and that participants would be safe to participate at all times despite the incredibly wet March that we have experienced.” explained Teresa Blázquez, the Andalucía Sunshine Tour director.

“I would like to thank everyone that makes the Andalucía Sunshine Tour possible and able to continue as the center of European equestrian events during these months: the riders and their teams, who continue to support us as we start off the season; to each one of the members of staff who make the event run so smoothly with their professional involvement, and finally all those who play a role here, however small, allowing us to continue to grow and to remain an undoubted point of reference, year after year”.

“Last of all I would like to extend our gratitude our sponsors, who make a significant commitment to this event. I would especially like to highlight the institutional support for us that is now well established and has grown over recent years, this is thanks to the close collaboration of the Junta de Andalucía, through the Consejería de Turismo and Andalucía Exterior, and of the Diputación Provincial de Cádiz, which has reinforced its commitment to us this year. Also to the city councils of Vejer and Barbate, for their close collaborations, and to our private sponsors, such as Longines, Range Rover – C de Salamanca, Equine America, Stephex, Dunas de Barbate, Fuze Tea, and ClipMyHorse, who each year are an essential part of the Andalucía Sunshine Tour.” Teresa added.

This year was very special for the Blázquez family with some unforgettably precious  moments; such as the presentation to Antonio Blázquez Marín, the promoter and founder of the Tour, of the Medal of the Province of Cadiz, which he collected in a very emotional ceremony on March 19th, and the win from Teresa Blázquez herself in the one of the Grand Prix classes held on the closing day of the Tour.