Chris Franks is a double winner in Oliva Nova in this week’s international round-up
Monday 09 November 2026
Chris Franks notched up a victory double on the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour (MET) Autumn Tour II in Oliva Nova, Spain.
“It was a great day for us to win both the 1.45m and the 1.40m,” said Chris, on his early wins.
Chris hit form early with a win in the initial Gold 1.45 Grand Prix qualifier with the 13-year-old Kannabalou (Balou Du Rouet x Kannan). A field of 57 contended this speed over course-designer Christian Wiegand’s (GER) 12-fence, 14-effort track. Chris used his early draw to set a sizzling target, hold off all challenges to win by 2.17 seconds.
“Kannabalou has been on excellent form this show. He was also placed in all three classes on the first week. He’ss naturally a very quick horse and very careful so I know that if we get into a good rhythm and then I just trust to him to be careful, he’s always in contention,” said Chris. “I thought the 1.45m was a tough course, there were several tight turn backs to verticals and Kannabalou is so careful I know I can really trust him, so saved me a bit of time.”
Ninety-three competitors came forward in the Gold 1.40m speed but no-one was a match for Chris as guided the 13-year-old Black Friday 3 (Simba x Ard Black Cat) into an unbeatable lead to win by 0.28 seconds.
“Black Friday has only been with us since the start of the summer, but we think he has a very exciting future. He loves going quick and always wants to keep travelling forward. The second to last line was an oxer seven strides to a skinny plank. Friday has quite a big stride and so we made the decision to allow him to keep travelling and took a stride out on this line which is probably where I think he would have just edged it,” said Chris, who finds both horses are similar in their way of going.
“Both these two horses are amazing jumpers. They are both forward and like to keep travelling, so they will always move across the ground quickly. Kannabalou is also a real fighter, every time he goes in the ring, he always gives 110% - I think he wants to win even more than we do.”
Double wins were the name of the game for the British contingent. Tom Plaster and the consistent Diamanta fore a warning shot in the 67-strong Silver 1.40m Grand Prix qualifier over a 13-fence two-phase track by 0.78 seconds and went on to win the Silver Grand Prix. A total of 63 came forward to bid for the Silver Grand Prix over a 1.40m track with 14 qualifying for the jump-off, Tom and the nine-year-old mare (Diamant De Plaisir x Acorado) in flying form to win by 0.40 seconds.
Phillip Spivey notched up a winning double in the Silver 1.30m classes on Billy Van Gogh, the Billy Vongo x Kroongraaf 12-year-old outpacing 42 rivals in a Table C speed (seconds added for a knockdown) by 0.28 seconds and 24 hours later in a 52-horse speed with 0.80 seconds in hand.
Ria Ward topped two Bronze 1.30m speed classes with Loughlans Bridge, the Cobra x Tadmus 16-year-old claiming a 62-strong class by 0.82 seconds and beating 82 rivals in the other by almost two seconds.
Leo Lamb jumped to the top in a Gold 1.30m speed on the eight-year-old Diamant De Semilly stallion Dolomite Z by 1.54 seconds and Izac Ketteridge headed a Silver 1.25m speed with 0.29 seconds in hand on the nine-year-old stallion Rockdale Dwerse Hagen (Nixon Van’t Meulenhof x Cupido).
Ella Dalton scores a victory double in Valencia
Ella Dalton landed a winning double on the Moura Autumn Tour in Valencia, Spain.
Ella bested 76 rivals to take the 3* 1.45m with Ultimo N Z. Thirteen of the original entry reached the jump-off but they were no match for Ella, and she eased the Untouchable x Dokkum De Rialfo eight-year-old with 0.67 seconds in hand.
Ella also topped the concluding 48-strong 1* 1.30m Accumulator with 1.50 seconds to spare on the 12-year-old Chantilly Amatullah (Abdullah x Aldato).
Maisy Williams steered Ozzy ZK into second in the 39-entry 3* 1.45m speed by a narrow margin, the Classico TN seven-year-old finishing only 0.03 seconds behind the winner, France’s Nicolas Deseuzes on Ginger Des Forets.
Tom Harrison claimed a double win, an early Six-year-old two-phase with Billy Lola (Cevin Z x Je T’Aime Flamenco), edging ahead by 0.14 seconds, and a 1.30m two-phase aboard the 10-year-old Oldtown Emerald Isle Emerald x Clover Fields) with more than three seconds to spare.
Laura Renwick claimed a 3* 1.35m speed win on the home-bred 12-year-old Cottee (Asterix E Z x Couleur Rubin) by 0.67 seconds.
Chloe Winchester and Millie Allen take world ranking podium places on the Andalucia Spanish Sunshine Tour
Chloe Winchester eased Casacenta Petra PS into second place in the final 4* 1.45m in week 3 on the Andalucia Tour in Spain.
Sixty-seven competitors started over course-designer Marcos Nunez’s (ESP) world ranking 12-fence, 15-effort 1.45m speed track with Chloe taking her turn in the latter half of the start list. She couldn’t quite catch Ireland’s leader Niamh McEvoy aboard Jargon DN but slipped the Casallco x Dobels Cento 11-year-old mare into second just 0.18 seconds in arrears. Fraser Reed jumped SES Jumeirah into third.
Fraser and Matthew Pike’s nine-year-old Jumeirah (Diamant De Semilly x Douglas) led a British top three in an early 4* 1.40m speed, outpacing 73 rivals to take the top spot by 1.74 seconds. Joe Stockdale eased FMBS Therapy Systems Satisfaction into second place and Chloe filled third aboard ABC Saving Grace.
Millie Allen claimed two of the top four places in an early 49-strong 4* 1.45m speed, taking second with the 10-year-old Diamant De Semilly daughter Quick Diamant HR 0.54 seconds off the pace and fourth aboard Viarca PS.
Chloe Aston was also a winner, topping the 4* 1.35m with the 11-year-old mare Diatendra Von Rocherrath Z (Diamant De Semilly x Contendro) with an impressive 2.83 seconds to spare.
Jack Whitaker claims a Grand Prix podium place at CSI Lier
Jack Whitaker guided Nimaran into second place in the 2* 1.45m to conclude the show at Azelhof Horse Events in Lier, Belgium.
Thirteen of the original 62 starters safely negotiated the 13-fence, 16-effort course to join the jump-off, Jack jumping another smooth round on the Comme Il Faut 5 x Tangelo Van De Zuuthoeve eight-year-old mare to slot into the runner-up position 1.64 seconds behind the winner, Canada’s Kyle Timm on Atomica Des Sequoias Z. Holly Grimwade jumped a double clear to take fourth on Kind Of A Roos into fourth, underscoring their form earlier in the week.
Holly and the 11-year-old Dexter R daughter claimed third in an early world ranking 2* 1.45m as 15 form a field of 81 contended the jump-off, finishing 2.21 seconds off the winning time.
Joe Trunkfield scored a win in the 1* 1.30m speed with the eight-year-old Chacoon Blue mare Chacoona Blue PS, holding off the challenges from 59 riders to win by 1.38 seconds.
Image: 1clicphoto
