Oliva Nova, Spain – November 30, 2025 – Great Britain’s Anna Power (GBR) and the 12-year-old stallion McQueen (Cobra x Nissan Caretano Z) kicked off Autumn MET III 2025 at Centro Ecuestre Oliva Nova with a hat-trick. After winning Thursday’s first Grand Prix qualifier and tying for the win in the second qualifier on Friday, the duo once again stepped on top of the podium in Sunday’s CHG – Construcciones Hispano Germanas S.A – Grand Prix CSI2* 1.45m.
With a time of 37.42 seconds in the jump-off, Power and McQueen were victorious in Sunday’s concluding Grand Prix – besting a field of 68 participants.
Victor Bettendorf (LUX) on Encore Toi du Linon (Kannan x Desir du Chateau) had to settle for the runner-up spot when the clock stopped on 38.31 seconds in the jump-off between 16 horse-and-rider combinations.
Rogier Linssen (NED) with Moneypenny (Sea Coast Don’t Touch Tiji Hero x For Pleasure) placed third in 40.23 seconds, followed by Christian Rhomberg (AUT) on Dianca Z (Diamant de Semilly x Casall) in fourth in 40.29 seconds, while crossing the finish line in 41.19 left Lance Whitehouse (GBR) aboard White Sparke Argo (Argento x Ard Ohio) in fifth.
“McQueen has just been amazing this week,” Anna beamed after her victory in the CHG Grand Prix. “I came to MET I, and he had really good form, but sometimes in the jump-offs I lacked belief that I could win. Now, I came here with the positivity that I can, and I think my mindset has really helped me. It’s just all worked out for me. You don’t get many weeks like this so I’m going to enjoy the moment. I have a great team of family support behind me. We do it on a very a small scale, I’m not from a showjumping background or anything like that. We just have a few horses and I have a two-year-old son. It was his birthday on Friday, actually. We do it as a family; my husband and my mother are very involved. It’s fun, and I’m lucky that we’ve had a great week.”
“McQueen is co-owned by former showjumper Bina Ford; we own him together,” Anna continued. “We have had him for six years now and we know each other really well. He’s really strong and very rideable, and he has so much belief in himself. I have some of his siblings, I have a four-year-old and a two-year-old from the same mother as him. I’m trying to build a team behind him. He’s a real character. He just loves cuddles and he loves attention, and then he just wants to fight for you in the ring.”
“I’ve been coming to Oliva for 10 years,” the happy winner said about the venue in Oliva Nova. “And this is the first Grand Prix that I’ve won, I’ve had many seconds. To beat Victor was just amazing, he’s such a fast rider, so I know I was fast today! We love it in Oliva. We love that everything is so convenient and it’s so clean and the apartments are really close. Everyone is so welcoming and so helpful, and obviously, the weather is much better than the UK, which is a good added bonus. McQueen has been coming here for a long time and he knows the rings now, maybe that is a slight advantage. He loves the main ring here.”
Autumn MET III 2025 continues next week and runs until December 14th
Final Results – €30,750 CHG – Construcciones Hispano Germanas CSI 2*
1) Anna Power (GBR) & McQueen – 0 / 0 – 37.42
2) Victor Bettendorf (LUX) & Encore Toi du Linon – 0 / 0 – 38.31
3) Rogier Linssen (NED) & Moneypenny – 0 / 0 – 40.23
Source: Press Release from the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour
Photos: © MET / http://www.1clicphoto.com / Hervé Bonnaud
