Dear friend,

It’s a great pleasure for me to send you the information about the Dressage tests of the 2007 Sunshine Tour. The documents that I’m sending you will be useful to prepare yor participation in the competitions, as well as your stay with us..

Once again this year we have continued our efforts to improve our facilities. You will descover that the arenas around the Kurupay have been redone since renewing the training arena –built by RISSO HORSE- along with the competition arena. Also, the space all araound enabled us to redecorate the toilets and showers for both ladies and gentlemen. This newly arranged area will be used to host the main competitions.

The Schedule remains almost the same as last year. A ruled CDI3* program, for which there will be joint international Tests for 5 and 6 year-old horses and a CDI J/Y following the large success we got between the Juniors and Young Riders. Regarding the second CDI3* we are introducing a little change in the Big Tour the Tests will be as follows: Grand Prix, Gran Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle. The participants will have to chose between the Special and the Freestyle and state wether they wish to qualify for the GPS of for the Freestyle.

As well as last year, the first Small Tour test will be a St Georges, but of national category for those that want to participate with their horses three days instead of the two days as marked by FEI rules. As every year there will be Young Horses tests for 5 and 6 years. Owners tests -with a Junior International level- for horses older than 7 ridden by a rider of any category, will take place during the weekends. As in previous editions, the third competition will hold all the categories’ finals.

 

The tests will be held during the week, except Owners, Juniors and Young Riders Test, that will be held from Fridays to Sundays. The program will be as follows:

(*) Owner's Tests: Reserved for horses from 7 years old ridden by riders of any category.

All the Test will be the current FEI ones for the year 2007.

On the third day the Owners Junior test will be a “consolation for Juniors and Young ridersO

Depending on the number of entries for each test (more than 40 couples), theses could be split into two days. As last year the Small Tour may start on Tuesdays (first half of participants at St. Georges Test National cathegory).

The dates for the Sunshine Tour Dressage competition, which have already been approved by the FEI, are the following:

The third CDI 3* and CDIJ/Y will, as always, be dedicated to the finals of each category and the test will be the following:

Participation on the Final test of 5 and 6 year-old will be reserved to the 12 best 5 and 6 year-old horses qualified following a point system applied to every test in the Sunshine Tour.

Participation on the Finals of Owners, Juniors and Young Riders will equally be reserved to the 12 best riders (with one horse) qualified following the point system applied to every test in the Sunshine Tour.

Participation on Invitational test of Big and Small Tour, will equally be reserved to the 15 best riders (with one horse) qualified following the point system applied to every Intermediate I (Small Tour) and Grand Prix (Big Tour) of the three Shows.

Due to special TV requirements, we will publish the final Schedule for 3rd CDI within 7 days. Grand Prix Freestyle will be broadcast by TVE (National Spanish TV).

 

Following many conversations with ANCCE (National Breeder’s Association of Spanish Horses) we are able to inform that points will be attributed for the ANCCE CUP during the opening and second CDO3* of this year’s 2007 Sunshine Tour. However we are unable to give you the precise rules nor the exact tests who will count in each level. But we can assure you that the first two CDI 3* will receive “ANCCE Special prize money” for the Pure Spanish Breed horses.

The Judges Panel will be varied during the Circuit, being all very experienced.

We have invited several International Official Judges, per show, in order to give more opportunities to those riders who wish to qualify for next big events (Europe and World Championships).

Regarding the success of these previous years, we expect a trong participation for this year’s 2007 edition, especially taking into account the number of riders who have allready confirmed to us their participation at this time of the year. So for these reasons we will be grateful if you could please communicate us as soon as possible your entries, since the number of places are limited. Also, please inform us about your needs of tak room and lorry parking, in order to make the necessary reservations.

By sending 25% of the total entries before the 15th December, we will be able to give you preferential treatment and obviously the better choice of boxes in the Dressage area, as the surplus entries will be stabled in the portable boxes. Therefore the distribution criteria will be firstly, date of receipt of entry form and secondly date of payment of the 25%.

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Riders wishing to do so may arrive at Dehesa Montenmedio as from the 15th January in order to make their final preparations for the Circuit at no additional cost. Training rings will be at your disposal from the moment you arrive and if you wish to come early please let us know beforehand.

All the well known restaurants, Café de Kurupay, II Giardinetto, Meeting Point and Casa Club will be open for all participants and friends. The only restaurants requiring pre-booking is the Casa Club at night.

One rental agency is, always, Nuestra Zahara. Their address and telephone are included in a separate sheet.

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As usual, this year we will offer you the services of a supermarket, massages, laundry, hotels, villas, apartments, travel and card hire, as well as Montenmedio’s leisure facilities which include: Golf, Golf Academy, with highly qualified instructors to give classes to beginners and advanced, 4 Wheel drive cross country circuit, Carriage Riders, Carriages Driving Courses, Adventure, NMAC Foundation of Contemporary Art, etc.

All participants on the Sunshine Tour 2006 will benefit from special prices on the Green Fees and other sport activities wihich you can enjoy at Montenmedio.

The Organising Committee offers you Farrier and Veterinary services, which will be in the user’s charge.

It has become blatantly obvious that motorbikes are disruptive to horses when within the Dressage facilities. Therefore, motorbikes are not allowed to enter at the stabling area and immediate surroundings of the training and competition rings. If it is absolutely imperative to circulate on motorbikes, we insist every precaution must be taken to reduce the level of noise to a minimum. All the other riders will be grateful.

The increasing number of dogs who travel down to the Sunshine Tour is becoming problematic. Las year we had several incidents, such as dogs entering the the rectangle during the competitions. This can no longer be tolerated. The FEI rules state in that sense. So for this year’s 2007 edition only the presence of dogs on lead will be accepted. All dogs walking free or cout of control will be caught and put into a kennel on the site. The owners will have to pay a fine in order to recuperate his dog.

We ask you for your utmost understanding in respecting this rule, since our aim is to offer you the best condition during the competitions.

We offer Spillers and Purina, as well as the unloading and storage of your own particular foodstuffs, as we have done previously. We can also offer presale of foodstuffs through our ticketing system for hay, straw and shavings. These tickets will be available at the accounting office or in the warehouse. This system greatly avoids delays at the time of departure and finalization of bills.

Parking is reserved exclusively for horseboxes and lorries and not for merchants. Persons or Companies not related to Montenmedio will be prohibited the sale or delivery of goods related to those already provided for.

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All participants in the Sunshine Tour Circuit 2006 are entitled to special prices on green fees and golf and buggies.

The 15th December 2006, will be the closing date for confirming reservations. We should receive 25% of the total entry fee before this date. Bank transfers should be made to our Bank, as per the following details:

Name:              Circuito Hípico del Sol, S.L.
Bank:              “LA CAIXA”
Account No.:    ES 32  2100  4015  39  2200013711
SWIFT No.:      CAIXES BB XX

Copy of this transfer must be sent to us, in order that we may credit your account with the same. It is imperative, for our control, that your Bank include the name of the rider in the transfer, should a company be the transferor. Payment by credit card will incur a 4% surcharge, this being the bank charges payable for this transaction.

Payment of prize monies will be by cheque.

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Looking forwards to being able to welcome you once again to Montenmedio, we remain,

Yours faithfully,

Teresa Fontán
Equestrian Activities Manager