12/12/2019 - 20:40

Unexpected surprise as a skilled British rider has just joined the competition

Everything is ready for tomorrow to start the thirty-ninth edition of the CSI Coruña that for the fourth year hosting a qualifying leg of the World Cup.

Today, the horses passed the obligatory veterinary inspection without any setback and are ready for tomorrow at 11.30 am where the doors of the fantastic indoor arena will open for the first competition of the day, the CSI2* 1.30m Inaugural Trophy.

However, today we have some breaking news. The British rider, Robert Whitaker has joined the list of participants in this new edition with his horses Dekato and Catwalk IV. He will be competing with his 16-year-old horse, who were winners of the World Cup Grand Prix in Helsinki last October, in which Sergio Álvarez Moya finished second, and were also the winners of another big event at the indoor track of Helsinki Ice Hall. Taking Second place in the Grand Prix CSI5* in Treffen, also in the Grand Prix CSI5* of Ascona in Switzerland, and other important international 4* and 5* wins. Dekato, however, is an 11-year-old horse that the young Briton has only ridden since last October.

Robert comes from a notorious equestrian family. He is the son of Olympic rider John Whitaker and nephew of Michael Whitaker, a rider who will also be competing at Casas Novas. It is like second nature for him, performing in this sport is so natural as if it just ran through his veins. He has been the winner of the first British Open in 2003, a competition that he has subsequently led three times.

The competitions will start tomorrow Friday at 11.30am and can be watched live through the official website of the contest www.csicasasnovas.com and www.oxersport.com.
In total, more than 100 riders from 20 different nationalities will participate in this special equestrian event in which € 800,000 will be distributed in prizes.
The two most important events of the weekend will be the Longines Grand Prix on Saturday night (with a prize for the best Spanish rider sponsored by Sensormatic) and the Grand Prix World Cup, Caixabank Trophy, on Sunday afternoon. Oxers with jumps of 1.60m on an indoor track, a very difficult combination for riders that was designed by Santiago Varela, the chosen designer for the Olympic Games, who will have to work well to avoid dangers while maintaining the level.

Not everything will be competition. On Friday night Santi Serra, famous for winning an edition of the program "You are worth it," will dazzle viewers with his show "Wild." A magical scenario in which horses, in the purest type of freedom, will demonstrate the friendship that can unite man and horse.