The Best International Riders Come Together In The CSI5* A Coruna
As usual at this time, Casas Novas begins to finalize preparations for the celebration of the XXIX winter competition from 12 to 14 December.
The best riders in the national and international scene will take part in the six tests scheduled in the CSI5*, of which four score for the Longines FEI Ranking. Regarding the national scene, seven riders will take part in the competition. These include Sergio Alvarez Moya, Eduardo Alvarez Aznar, Manuel Añon and Pilar Cordon, regular members of the Spanish team in Nations Cups disputed this season.
Sergio Alvarez Moya, current leader of the national ranking and 25th in the world, will compete with Carlo, his best horse. Both will try to repeat the magnificent victory achieved in 2012. The brothers Añon, Manuel and Gonzalo, come to Casas Novas with their best horses. Local rider Marta Ortega and the young Santiago Nuñez Riva round out the Spaniards in the CSI5 *.
Great Britain will be represented by two great riders of the Whitaker dynasty: John Whitaker, comes very fit to this end of season and has won this year 4 international GP. His son Robert Whitaker has won 6 international tests in 2014, the last, one week ago in Madrid.
The Belgians mix youth and experience in Casas Novas. The twins of 21 years Nicola and Olivier Philippaerts, and Constant van Paesschen (20) have won more than 30 international tests this season. Join to these 3 youth Belgian one of the most experienced riders on the international circuit, Jos Lansink, seven-time Olympian and World Champion in 2006.
The first two qualified of the World Cup in Madrid, Colombian Carlos López and Australian Edwina Tops-Alexander will compete in A Coruña with their best horses. The German Marco Kutscher intends to continue with its superb run of results that have allowed him to return to the national team in this final stretch of the season.
Note that several of the riders who come to compete this year have previously won the Grand Prix CSI5 * of A Coruña: the Frenchman Julien Epaillard in 2006, Dutchman Henk van de Pol in 2008 and Spanish Sergio Alvarez Moya in 2012. All of them will try to win the Longines Grand Prix. It will be Saturday at 18pm and € 500,000 in prize money will bedistributed, thus becoming one of the most important events on the international calendar.
Two classes of a CSI2* will be disputed daily and will have a wide Spanish representation. The most prominents are Iván Serrano, winner of 15 GP this year, Brazilian Felipe Ramos Guinato o Portuguese Marina Frutuoso de Melo. Álvaro Muñoz Escassi will also participate, which after spending six years without competing, returs to the competitions as rider and profesor of Venezuelan Margarita Vargas.
The flags of Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, and Venezuela; will fly during the three days of competition, where will take part more than 95 riders and 160 horses.
OFFICIAL SCHEDULE
Throughout the three days, four daily tests will be played. These are the detailed schedules of each day:
TV BROADCAST
The event will be broadcasted live streaming through the website of the equestrian center www.csicasasnovas.com and www.oxersport.com.
Longines Grand Prix will be broadcasted over 60 countries on 5 continents through Eurosport. Meanwhile, Teledeporte and Television de Galicia will broadcast the Longines Grand Prix and Azkar Trophy.