Alvaro Gonzalez de Zarate Fernandez has a flair for good timing: He won the Grand Prix Land Rover, a show jumping competition reserved for riders under 25, on his - 25^th birthday. A well-deserved victory, which he achieved with two absolutely flawless rounds.

Of the 28 competitors in the Grand Prix Land Rover, the main competition of the CSI U25, only nine qualified for the unique jump-off. Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, France, Spain and Germany – a colourful mix of nationalities, but no Swiss in the decisive act of this highlight in the CHI's young riders' tour. The passion and enthusiasm of the young talents was evident right from the start in the jump-off course, where they beat the best times one after the other and dared ever more risky variations, which sometimes cost a drop or even a volte. For a few minutes, no one managed to ride faster than the Austrian Alessandra Reich, who was the first to take the lead. But she had to admit defeat to the even faster Irish rider Jack Ryan, and Alvaro Gonzalez de Zarate Fernandez showed the even stronger nerves in the saddle of his nine-year-old gelding Carte de Blue PS. The young man from the Basque country flew over the jump-off course in 41.79 seconds and without any faults, thus also winning the right to lead the lap of honour.