Costa del Sol Racecourse finally opened its Doors again

The Hipódromo, the only racecourse in Malaga Province of its type, finally opened its doors again to provide equestrian fans with a venue for the Autumn Cup, an international show jumping event that will conclude on 16th November. After a year of closure, prompted by financial difficulties, the racecourse saw many equestrian sports fans return for the event, which is part of the Costa del Sol Equestrian Tour. Marbella's resident fans of equestrian sports will once again be able to cheer their favourites this winter.

A Deal that benefits All?

Its the first event in a series of shows that will continue until March, so Mijas Town Hall confirmed. Whatever the deals agreed upon behind closed doors, the equestrian organisations staging the events must clearly do so without getting any further monies from local authorities, or the site would not have reopened to equestrian sports, although it has been used for craft markets and similar events.

The Andalusia firm Co-Equisport will be in charge of managing the racecourse and events, from the daily maintenance of the site to creating an exciting timetable of events and competitions that will tempt fans back to the venue. The winter schedule is near completion - just as well, for the company must pay 20,000 euros per month for the privilege of running the site. The contract arrived at will grant Co-Equisport a 20-year lease on the Hipódromo centre.

Lourdes Burgos, head of Recursos Turísticos, the municipal body that owns the Hipódromo, explained: "The intention of the local authority has always been to keep the racecourse open."

The site has seen some improvements, including the development of new racetracks and more stables to enlarge capacity.

An Autumnal Cup runneth over with Equestrian Excitement

The Autumn Cup will see 330 jockeys from 22 different countries compete in the Costa del Sol Equestrian Tour. They must successfully compete in three Concourse de Saut International jumping events, divided into age groups five, six and seven-years-old, and two other 2-star rounds to make it through to the final.  The third leg of the competition will take place between 11th and 16th November.

Year-round Costa del Sol Living

For Mijas and Marbella's semi-permanent resident equestrian fans the reopening of the racecourse at the  Hipódromo was certainly welcome news - as was the decision by BA to maintain its Heathrow to Malaga air link, for the Festive Season is a favourite time for many people who own a holiday home at the Costa del Sol to escape the consumer frenzy in the UK and head out to warmer climes in Spain.

It may be too cold to go swimming in the sea, but it's certainly warm enough to go for a walk past Marbella's Golden Mile and for a round of golf at one of Elviria's stunning golf courses. While racecourse visitors may be used to dressing up in accordance with the seasons, it's considerably more fun watching show jumping at the Costa del Sol's milder winter climate than it is in, say, Wales's or Scotland's tempestuous climates.

For Burgos the competition means that attention from European equestrian fans is once again focused on Mijas and the Costa del Sol, which brings tourism expenditure to the area. It's an important step in a whole series of improvements the Andalusia region is going to see, if last week's announcements at the World Travel Market in London are anything to go by.

Winter is also a good time to come and test what is on offer to those who make Marbella or Mijas their permanent home. It's easy to see why somebody might want to purchase a permanent home when visiting in summer, when the skies are impossibly blue and a dip in the sea is so very tempting.

In many resorts at the Costas life virtually comes to a full stop as soon as the summer season ends. Thankfully, Town Halls in Marbella and its neighbouring resorts have recognised that year-round attractions like the racecourse at Mijas are essential to attract foreign buyers of property in the first place and to keep them at the Costa del Sol for years to come.