Anna Powers to Grand Prix victory to crown an incredible hat-trick on the Autumn Mediterranean Equestrian Tour in Spain with McQueen
Monday 01 December 2025
Anna Power topped an amazing week in the Gold 1.45m series on the Autumn MET III in Oliva Nova, Spain, with Bina Ford’s consistent McQueen.
“It’s incredible, I can’t believe how well he’s gone – this is a tough sport and to come out and win all three classes this week is amazing, I’m delighted,” said Anna, who also celebrated her son Dominic’s second birthday this week – “He’s my biggest fan!”
Sixty-eight riders came forward over a 13-fence, 16-effort 1.45m track and 16 mastered the course to return for the jump-off. Anna skilfully negotiated the turn-backs over the shortened raised track, urging the Cobra x Nissan Caretano Z 12-year-old into a 0.89 second win. Lance Whitehouse also posted a double clear for fifth on White Sparke Argo.
“I won it in between the first two fences – it was on nine strides but I went down on eight,” explained Anna, who employed different tactics in her warm-up routine.
“We competed here on the Autumn MET I and although he was on form, in the jump-off I lacked belief and we came home. It was a last-minute decision to travel out again for MET III and I came out with a positive mindset that I could win and it paid off. He can be horse-shy in the warm-up but he loves the Main Arena and the Main Arena warm-up here. He’s a big horse but with plenty of blood so I lunged him for a few minutes to relax him before I got on.”
There was rivalry all week between British ladies Anna Power and Laura Renwick. The consistent pair vied each other in the top two places throughout.
Anna and McQueen had started the week with victory in the 46-strong Gold 1.45m speed, pushing Laura and If Evers Girl into second spot by 1.66 seconds. Twenty-four hours later, Anna and Laura could not be separated in the 74-horse Gold 1.45m speed, Laura’s If Evers Girl dead-heating on time with Anna and McQueen to share victory, 0.32 seconds ahead of their nearest rival.
Laura posted a winning double of her own with the home-bred 11-year-old Cottee (Asterix E Z x Couleur Rubin), winning an early 64-entry Silver 1.35m speed with 1.38 seconds to spare over Anna aboard Oxford V/D Witte Drisendijk. Laura and Cottee went on to beat 51 rivals in a later Silver 1.40m speed by 3.71 seconds. Laura missed out on another win by only 0.25 seconds, settling for second place in the final day’s Gold 2.40m two-phase with the Toulon eight-year-old Marseille.
Ria Ward scored a hat-trick with Loughlans Bridge, the Cobra x Tadmus 15-year-old heading two Bronze 1.30m classes in fine style before claiming the Bronze Final. Twenty-one of the original 47 competitors tackled a hard-fought jump-off over the Bronze 1.40m track, but they were no match for Ria as she broke the finish beams with 0.80 seconds in hand.
Charlotte Walker doubled up with Bronze 1.35m and 1.40m wins on Masterpiece F, the Harley x Burggraaf NV eight-year-old she took over following the untimely passing of close friend Mark Thompson. Chris Franks headed an early 91-strong Gold 1.40m two-phase by only 0.08 seconds aboard the Balou Du Rouet 12-year-old Kannabalou, Nathan Bull topped a Gold 1.35m speed, outpacing 81 challengers by 2.55 seconds with the Cupido 13-year-old Milton Van Vrijhern and Maisy Williams beat 57 riders in a Six-year-old 1.25m with immediate jump-off riding the Classico TN-sired Ozzy Z K.
Brits are on the podium in Stockholm, Belgium and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ben Maher was in the money at the Sweden International Horse Show in Stockholm with the nine-year-old Nighthawk (Stakkato Gold x Clinton), claiming second in the 4* 1.45m Welcome 0.39 seconds off the pace. The pair jumped the steadiest of the double clears in the H&M 4* 1.55m Grand Prix in a seven-horse decider for fourth 1.32 seconds behind the winner, Belgium’s Gilles Thomas on Chuck Marienshof Z.
Chad Fellows notched up a victory double in Riyadh CSI3* in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, topping a 57-horse 3* 1.30m two-phase by 0.96 seconds on the NPS Super Nova eight-year-old NPS Klooney and a 3* 1.30m speed aboard the nine-year-old Continent 7 with 0.67 seconds to spare.
Madison Heath claimed four wins to her credit at Sentower Park in Belgium. The super-careful and consistent 12-year-old mare Ivory (Don VHP Z x Cartogran) doubled up, winning a 1* 1.25m speed by 2.71 seconds and a 1* 1.30m six-horse jump-off with almost four seconds in hand. The seven-year-old BP Millionaire (Million Dollar x Centurion) scored another win for Madison, beating 70 rivals to take the Seven and Eight-year-old 1.30/1.35m two-phase with 0.66 seconds to spare. Madison also clinched victory in a Five/Six-year-old 1.15/1.25m two-phase with the six-year-old Christian 25 daughter Dakota by 0.13 seconds.
Jodie Hall-McAteer guided the nine-year-old Sunday into second in an early 2* 1.45m speed some seven seconds off the pace, Iwan Carpenter outpaced 93 rivals to take the first 2* 1.40m speed on the Chacco Blue 15-year-old Merllyn’s Chacco B, Emily Ward headed an 84-strong 2* 1.30m two-phase on the eight-year-old mare Millfield Lottery by 0.22 seconds, Jessica Campbell was a 1* 1.25m speed winner with the 13-year-old mare La Chunga and Charlie Rae Nelson headed the initial Five and Six-year-old on the five-year-old Malibu (Fantaland x Cevin Z). Double clears in the 2* 1.45m Grand Prix from Robert Whitaker on the Catwalk-sired eight-year-old Strike A Pose and Emily Ward with Wild Star HF earned fourth and fifth places.
Image: 1clicphoto/ Hervé Bonnaud
 c. Jamie Agnew Photography.jpg "Graham Babes takes top spot in the SEIB Winter Novice Championship Qualifier at Morris Equestrian Centre")
