Spain’s own Sergio Alvarez Moya and the talented 8-year-old mare Be Blue (Brantzau x Böckmann’s Lord Pezi) won Saturday’s CSI3* 1.50m Grand Prix Trofeo CHG – Construcciones Hispano Germanas S.A – at the Autumn MET in Oliva Nova, Spain.
 
This was the last Gold Tour Grand Prix of the season at Centro Ecuestre Oliva Nova, as the third and last week of Autumn MET III will conclude on Sunday 14 December after a total of twelve weeks of competition during the fall-edition of the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour.
 
A total of 60 horse-and-rider combinations were challenged by course designer Elena Boix, who had built a 13-fence track for the occasion. Ten pairs managed to solve all the questions asked and returned to the jump-off, which quickly ended up as a case of fast-faster-fastest. 
 
As pathfinders in the jump-off, Belgium’s Andres Vereecke and Cuba Libre Van Paemel Z (Cicero Van Paemel Z x Calvaro F.C.) set the time to beat to 35.38 seconds – putting pressure on the nine to come. 
 
However, the Spanish riders were coming in full force from behind and the first to attack was Mariano Martinez Bastida who shaved the leading time down to 35.01 seconds after a lightning-fast round aboard Belano vd Wijnhoeve Z (Berlin x Darco). Just one rider later, the time was bettered by Alberto Marquez Galobardes on Kelly (Kannan x Baloubet du Rouet) who clocked in on 34.90 seconds – which looked like it would be very hard to beat.
 
Sergio Alvarez Moya knows a thing or two about riding fast though, and used all his experience to guide his young mare through the jump-off to the quickest time of the class as the duo crossed the finish line in 34.71 seconds.
 
Only one rider remained to challenge Alvarez Moya’s lead, but when a rail fell for Belgium’s Bart Jay Junior Vandecasteele, the hosts could start celebrating: It ended with an all-Spanish podium – with Alvarez Moya in first, Marquez Galobardes in second and Martinez Bastida in third – and the perfect way to conclude the 2025 MET-season. 

“We have had Be Blue for a few years already,” Alvarez Moya explained about his winning partner. “My rider Ismael [Garcia Roque] has been producing her from she was six years old and up to 1.50m level – I have been riding her a bit in between for a couple of shows, but then Ismael took over again and he has done a fantastic job with her. This is my first show with her since last year, so for her to win the CSI3* Grand Prix here makes me very happy. She jumped fantastic.”
 
“Be Blue has jumped a lot of clear rounds already, but I will take my time to develop her – she is a big mare, and she has always been very careful and a little bit shy,” Alvarez Moya continued about his plans for the promising mare. “Time will tell; she has a lot of ability, a very good mind and in my opinion what a horse needs to jump the big Grand Prix classes. I will listen to what she tells me, feel what she is ready for next year and take it from there.”
 
“I knew I could go for it in the jump-off today; you don’t have to worry about having a rail down with her, she always tries her best to leave the poles up,” Alvarez Moya detailed about his tactic. “Ismael did a great job with her, she knows how to compete and she looks for the jumps when you come out of the turns so I told myself I would go for it.”
 
“I own Be Blue with a very good friend, who I also owned Shaq Attack with before we sold him to Carlos Hank Guerreiro. The plan was not to sell Shaq Attack, so with Be Blue we have said that whatever happens we keep her for the big sport. When you have a friend like this as co-owner, it’s a great feeling when things work out how you wish for!” Alvarez Moya said.
 
“This was my last show for 2025, I will start up again next year in Ocala,” Alvarez Moya explained. “It’s a nice feeling to close off the year like this; my girlfriend’s 7-year-old mare Karen Walker (Armison x Quick Star) finished second in the Silver Tour Grand Prix – she is a talented mare as well. It was a good Saturday!”
 
The Mediterranean Equestrian Tour concludes on Sunday 14 December, then takes a break and returns with its spring edition starting on 13 January 2026. 
 
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The photos may be used only in relation to this press release and must include
photo credit to © Hervé Bonnaud / www.1clicphoto.com.