Classic Eventing Nation

The top of the CCI4* leaderboard stayed mostly intact throughout cross-country day here at Pau, with the top 10 from dressage rearranging themselves just slightly in the face of Pierre Michelet’s testing track.

Michael Jung held fast to the one-two punch he delivered yesterday with Halunke FBW and Fischerrocana FST, and Emily King and Brookleigh tackled their four-star debut like old pros to retain third. Fourth-placed Frenchman Astier Nicolas and Piaf de B’Neville satisfied the hometown crowd with their double-clear round, and New Zealand’s Tim Price and Wesko round out the top five.

Our leader, by just 0.5 point, heading into show jumping:

Michael Jung and Halunke FBW. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Great to see that Rocana has her sea legs back!

Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Look ma, no jump/time penalties:

Emily King and Brookleigh. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Michael, Emily and Astier recap their rides in the press conference:

Further down the leaderboard, however, it looks like a wrecking ball came through, taking aim at the U.S. contingent among others who ran into trouble out here in the south of France countryside.

Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master had the best finish of our North Americans, having a super run until the third and final water complex where they picked up an unfortunate run-out. The direct route required a big, bold jump into the water followed by a bounce out to a skinny fish-shaped brush. After an awkward jump up at B “Rupert” fell out through his right shoulder at the C element. That late in the course, it’s a lot to ask of a horse to get you out of that sort of a scrape, even horses with as much honesty and heart as Rupert.

If it makes you feel any better Rebecca, you weren’t only ones who fell victim. Here’s a sequence of fourth-placed Astier and Paf de B’Neville narrowly avoiding a similar fate. Au revoir, red flag!

Rebecca rebounded with a vengeance and went on to complete the course with only 4.8 time penalties, which puts them in 30th place heading into tomorrow’s show jumping. Kick on, Rebecca and Rupert!

Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master, more determined than ever after their run-out. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Katie Ruppel and Houdini also showed their grit today, completing the course on sheer will alone. They got off on the wrong foot with a refusal at #6C, an angled house after a bank, then picked up a second refusal on course at the bullfinch #16A. But by God, they didn’t come all the way to Europe to retire on course and they scrapped their way to the finish line, looking just as determined at #5…

Katie Ruppel and Houdini. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

…as they did at #27.

Katie Ruppel and Houdini. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

They finished with 40 jumping (#6C and #16A) and 67.6 time penalties, but they finished. Well-played, Katie.

Barb Crabo and Eveready looked super where I saw them, the first real technical combination at #6ABC. Here they are, showing us how it’s done:

All systems appeared to be go for a clear round until, as with Rebecca and Rupert, the final water complex. As I described earlier, after landing from a near-galloping fence in you have to make a pretty immediate turn to the bounce out. After their brilliant go through #6ABC I raced over to watch them, and it looked to me like after Ready’s big, splashy leap in Barb just fell victim to a bit of centripetal force and slid off his outside shoulder. A shame that their day ended a bit early, but this pair really impressed me today with their focus and work ethic.

Jennie Brannigan/Cambalda and Lillian Heard/Share Option were also among the nine pairs who didn’t make it through the finish flags today.

Jennie and Ping had a fall at fence #15, a seemingly straightforward but big steeplechase type brush oxer at the far end of the course. It’s a real shame, after such a promising dressage performance that saw them into the top 10. I haven’t had the opportunity to ask Jennie what happened — the incident didn’t make it onto the live stream — but the important thing is that both horse and rider are OK and will live to dominate another day.

[Update: Jennie says she went to move Ping up before the fence and his feet just didn’t leave the ground, an unlucky and untimely fluke for this experienced pair. Ever the team player, she was out bright and early on Sunday to support our remaining North American competitors is grateful for all the well wishes. From her Facebook page: “Thank you everyone for all the support… Ping and I are both OK after our tumble and it means a lot that you all have checked in.”]

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Lillian elected to retire at fence #13, a hedge-topped cabin atop a mound on an angled line to a matching cabin a few strides away. The pair had picked up a refusal at #8D, a skinny wedge at the first water Lillian reported on Facebook afterward that Whitey had a breathing problem on course, forcing them to pull up. It’s unfortunate that their day came to an early end but they’re an exciting team and we look forward to following their career in the future. You’ll get yours soon, Lillian!

For more specifics about what went down out there today, check out Leslie Threlkeld’s live play-by-play updates here.

Top 15 after Pau CCI4* cross-country:

The final horse inspection takes place tomorrow at 9 a.m. local time (4 a.m. EST, as this time zone had its fall-back daylight savings time change last night — a week earlier than the U.S. just to keep things confusing!), with show jumping to follow at 2:30 p.m. local time (9:30 a.m. EST).

Go Eventing!

Pau Links: Website, Entry List, Schedule, Live Scores, Live Stream, FEI TV, Facebook, @eventingnation, EN’s Instagram

Michael Jung and Halunke FBW at Pau. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Bonjour! If you happen to see the Les Etoiles de Pau CCI4* organizers, please thank them for not making us get up at 0 dark thirty to watch cross country. I know this doesn’t apply to our West Coast friends, but still I’m grateful.

Course designer Pierre Michelet, who also happens to be hired for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio, envisioned a course at Pau that put the riders on their toes as they began their walks earlier this week. We are all anxious to see how the course will ride, with its faux snow groundlines and all. If you missed it, check out Wylie’s virtual course walk here.

I’ll be updating this post all morning with news and notes from the day. Wylie is on the ground updating Twitter and Instagram and if you’re having a leisurely morning with good broadband, you can watch the live stream here or if you have an FEI TV subscription, click here.

Here’s your team Canamerica/Americanada ride times/results:

Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master: 20 jumping at 24c, 4.8 time penalties

Lillian Heard and Share Option: 20 jumping penalties at 8d, retired at 13

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda: Rider fall at 15 (they’re both okay)

Katie Ruppel and Houdini: 40 jumping (6c, 16a), 67.6 time penalties

Barb Crabo and Eveready: Rider fall at 24a (they’re both okay)

Pau Links: Website, Entry List, Cross Country Start Times, Schedule, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, Live Stream, FEI TV, Facebook, @eventingnation, EN’s Instagram

11:25 a.m. EST: Quite a dramatic day at Pau today. Thirty-eight horses will move on to the horse inspection tomorrow and only one American pair – Katie Ruppel and Houdini – are eligible to show jump. Michael Jung continues his eventing world domination. He could be looking at his third CCI4* win for 2015.

11:21 a.m. EST: Lilly Corinne takes out the red flag with her chest at the bunch of grapes. Sarah Bullimore was stopped at the final water and charged with elimination. A bummer way to end the day.

11:19 a.m. EST: Karim Florent Laghouag getting the crowd pumped as he jumps through the final combination. He and Entebbe De Hus finish with 2 time penalties and move up to 8th place.

11:16 a.m. EST: Just one second over with Halunke in the horse’s first four-star, Michael Jung maintains the lead by half a penalty point. Of course he’s second with fischerRocana FST, but the pressure will be on tomorrow as there is very little room for error amongst the top rides.

11:12 a.m. EST: The final rider of the day, Sarah Bullimore (GBR), is on course with her third horse, Lilly Corinne.

11:10 a.m. EST: Astier Nicolas riding to huge cheers all the way around this course with Piaf de B’Neville. He had a fall on his first ride but has just finished double-clear, the best French result of the day and lying in at least fourth place for show jumping.

11:07 a.m. EST: The very experienced pair of Andreas Dibowski (GER) and FRH Butts Avedon is double-clear, moving up to seventh for the moment.

11:06 a.m. EST: Fun fact via John Kyle: Halunke means “rascal” in German.

Paul Tapner and Tim Price had time for fois gras baguette and wine around xc #pau2015 easy and relax @TapnerEventing @timpricenzl #classy

— Ruy Fonseca (@RuyFonseca) October 24, 2015

11:04 a.m. EST: Tim Lips (NED) punches the air as he clears the last with Concrex Bayo, moving them into fourth for the moment. Leaders Michael Jung and Halunke FBW are on course.

11:00 a.m. EST: Tim Price and Wesko have the fastest ride of the day, finishing in 11:12, moving into third place.

CCI4* @Les4EDP @timpricenzl one of my favourite horses on course go Wesko go…..#eventinglive

— German Eventing (@luhmuehlen2015) October 24, 2015

10:57 a.m. EST: We have just five left to start on course.

10:54 a.m. EST: Caroline Chadelat (FRA) and Kadessia were another pair to jump big over 24a and couldn’t get organized well enough for the bounce question out over the bank and fish. They pick up 20 for a stop at the fish.

10:51 a.m. EST: A difficult day for the U.S. today. Barb comes off Eveready after a big leap over the palisade into the water at 24. Such a shame as they were having a good round up to that point. Thankfully they are both okay.

10:49 a.m. EST: Alice Naber-Lozeman (NED) and Harry Bellafonte are our 11th double-clear of the day. Tim Price and Wesko having a lovely round so far. They were second this year at Rolex and winners at last year’s Luhmuhlen.

10:48 a.m. EST: They haven’t shown Barb and Eveready AT ALL on the video, but they are clear through 21.

10:44 a.m. EST: Masterfall ride from Paul Tapner, a double-clear with Indian Mill moving them into third. Our last American of the day – Barb Crabo and Eveready – are on course and clear through 12.

10:40 a.m. EST: Clare Abbot and Euro Prince add just 1.6 time penalties to move into 9th place at the moment. Australia’s Paul Tapner is having a lovely round with Indian Mill.

10:37 a.m. EST: Thomas Rowland and Hennessy Cormac finish clear with 10.4 time.

10:31 a.m. EST: Euro Prince very fast through the water at 8. Trips after the arrowhead and manages to regain his balance. He and Clare Abbott (IRL) are clear now through the Wishing Wells at 10.

10:29 a.m. EST: Katie Ruppel and Houdini pick up their second refusal on course at the bullfinch 16a.

10:27 a.m. EST: Clear round with 23.2 time for Kirsty Johnston and Opposition Detective, half-brother to Nicola Wilson’s famous Opposition Buzz. An elated Mark Todd cross the finish clear and inside the time with NZB Campino. They move into fourth place.

10:24 a.m. EST: A refusal at 6c, an angled house after a bank, for Katie Ruppel and Houdini.

10:20 a.m. EST: Jock Paget (NZL) and Clifton Signature are clear with 3.6 time penalties for a 50.5 taking forward to show jumping. USA’s Katie Ruppel and Houdini are next out of the box.

10:17 a.m. EST: Nicky Roncoroni (GBR) and Watts Burn are clear with 14.8 time. The Master – Sir Mark Todd – and NZB Campino are on course.

10:10 a.m. EST: They’ve just shown on the video, Jennie was working very hard on the approach to the racecourse hedge at 15 and Ping skimmed over the top of this very big fence and couldn’t get the landing gear down. Very unfortunate but we are relieved they are okay!

10:06 a.m. EST: Oh my. Lucy Weigersma and Mr Chunky go out of bounds over the barrier after a huge jump into the final water. They part ways and have to swim out of deep water, but they are fine. And very sadly Jennie and Ping have parted ways around fence 15. Ping’s bridle was off, but we didn’t see what happened. They are okay and walking off course. Such a huge bummer.

10:05 a.m. EST: We haven’t seen any more of them on the live stream, but Jennie and Ping are clear through 14.

10:04 a.m. EST: An absolute class round from four-star first timer Emily King and Brookleigh. Double-clear and six seconds under the time. They will enter show jumping tomorrow in no worse than third place.

10:02 a.m. EST: Jennie Brannigan very nearly pops out of the tack at the bank complex at 6. Heartstopping moment for us but she stayed in the saddle and Ping carried on!

10:00 a.m. EST: Lucy Jackson (NZL) and Bosun give us the seventh double-clear, and Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda are on course!

9:52 a.m. EST: Emily King and Brookleigh are on course in this 19-year-old’s first CCI4*. They are third after dressage.

9:48 a.m. EST: Reve du Rouet stands way off the bank at the final water, makes it up over the fish, but he and Sarah Bullimore come to grief at the final combination, glancing off the final element, forcing them to cross their tracks to the option. It’s not the second double-clear Sarah would have been hoping for.

9:47 a.m. EST: Pennlands Douglas really fighting for his head as Emma Hyslop-Webb (GBR) – decked out in pink – tries to settle into the course early on.

9:46 a.m. EST: Claas Hermann Romeike (GER) and Cato 60 are clear with just over 3 time penalties. Ireland’s Austin O’Connor picked up a stop at the first Wishing Well with Morning Venture.

9:45 a.m. EST: John Kyle tells us that riders have reported you can make up time in the last four minutes of the course if you are down on the clock. It’s fairly flat and you are galloping on a training track, after all.

Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

9:38 a.m. EST: William Levitt (AUS) moves into second place after a double-clear round with Shannondale Titan.

9:36 a.m. EST: Sarah Bullimore is on course again, this time with Reve du Rouet. She was our trailblazer this morning with Valentino and started us off with a double-clear round. This is an experienced pair but it’s their first trip to Pau.

9:31 a.m. EST: Joseph Murphy (IRL) takes the long route at the final combination and finishes two seconds under the optimum time for the fifth double-clear round of the day.

9:28 a.m. EST: Helene Vattier (FRA) and Quito de Baliere finish with 20 jumping and 3.6 time. Joseph Murphy of Ireland and DHI Topstory are having a cracking round with just a few left to jump.

9:24 a.m. EST: Camille Lejeune (FRA) raises his hand over the final fence celebrating a clear round in he and his horse’s first four-star.

Just watched @BlythTait round #pau2015 you looked class I can feel a party in @Rio2016_en coming on #thexcmaster

— Rachel Wakefield (@wakefir) October 24, 2015

9:20 a.m. EST: Elmar Lesch (GER) and Lanzelot 113 clear with 14 time. R’Du Temps Bliniere seems to have settled down some but they are down on the clock now.

9:16 a.m. EST: Camille Lejeune’s R’Du Temps Bliniere very enthusiastic through the early part of the course. The 10-year-old Selle Français mare is definitely not put off by the size of the jumps in her first CCI4*!

9:14 a.m. EST: Laurence Hunt and Wie Donn’a Niieuwmoed cross their tracks to pick up 20 penalties at the final combination. They definitely took their time around the rest of the course, picking up 56 time penalties.

9:07 a.m. EST: Anna-Maria Rieke (GER) and Petite Dame are clear with 11.2 time.

9:00 a.m. EST: Despite taking the long route at the final combination, Blyth Tait and Bear Necessity are double-clear 13 seconds under the time.

8:59 a.m. EST: Wow. Bear Necessity V hits the first element of the water at 24 quite hard but just sort of slides over and carries on like nothing happened. He and Blyth Tait are clear with just a few left to jump.

8:57 a.m. EST: John Kyle says those bunch of grapes are usually a B element. On their own they are causing a sour day for some!

8:53 a.m. EST: Cornacrew looking at the crowd instead of the fence, picking up 20 penalties at the skinny grapes at 21. He actually hit the jump and moved it as he went out the right side door. Simon Grieve made no hesitation to retire.

8:44 a.m. EST: Julie Tew (GBR) falls from Simply Sox at 20 and Alexander Peternell (RSA) comes off AP Uprising at 12 The Wishing Wells – we saw him walking off course with his horse. Simon Grieve and Cornacrew currently the only pair on course.

8:41 a.m. EST: It’s been confirmed Lillian Heard elected to retire Share Option at 13.

8:40 a.m. EST: Rebecca and “Rupert” finish with 20 penalties and 4.8 time. We’re trying to figure out if Lillian has retired or if she’s been stopped by a steward for some reason.

8:38 a.m. EST: And a stop at the fish at 24c for Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master. They just didn’t have a good jump up the bank and couldn’t quite make it over the fish.

8:37 a.m. EST: Lillian Heard and Share Option pick up a refusal at 8d, a skinny wedge. What a bummer.

8:36 a.m. EST: Karim Florent Laghouag from France and Punch de L’Esques are clear and well inside the time! Rebecca Howard turned around briefly on the track as if she thought she’d gone the wrong way. She’s galloping on now.

8:32 a.m. EST: Michael and fischerRocana give us another double-clear just as Lillian Heard and Share Option start on course. Very comfortable and tidy through the first four fences.

8:31 a.m. EST: Canadian Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master are on course! They’re clear through 10!

8:30 a.m. EST: Whew! Michael and fischerRocana FST make it through all the water complexes without a bath!

8:28 a.m. EST: Andreas Dibowski (GER) and It’s Me xx finished with 20 jumping and just 4.8 time.

8:25 a.m. EST: Astier Nicolas (FRA) is eliminated after a fall from Quickly Du Buguet at the skinny grapes jump at 21, but he’s on his feet quickly and should be back for his second ride later today.

8:20 a.m. EST: Michael Jung (GER) is on course with fischerRocana FST, lying second after dressage. Jung’s ankle is on the mend after breaking it earlier this year, but he said he has a “strong bandage,” so it’s all good.

8:18 a.m. EST: Tim Price (NZL) and Lord of the Owls finished with no additional problems after picking up 20 at 3b. They still only had 9.6 time penalties.

8:14 a.m. EST: We did have two withdrawals this morning – Jonelle Price with Faerie Dianimo and Daniel Jocelyn and Phoenix L.

8:10 a.m. EST: Our trailblazers Sarah Bullimore (GBR) and Valentino V are clear and inside the time! What a way to start the day!

Pau CCI4* cross-country is slated for a 2 p.m. local time, 8 a.m. EST, start. Ah, the suspense! EN superhero Leslie Threlkeld will be bring you live blog updates throughout, and I’ll be out on the course watching the action live so I can bring you a full report later today.

In the meantime, here are a few notes:

Yes, Michael Jung is still a bit lame but don’t worry, he’s been cleared by the engineers who built him for take-off.

After spotting Michael, who claims the top two spots on the leaderboard heading into cross-country today, tooling around the grounds on a Segway…

Posted by buschreiter.de on Facebook.

… I couldn’t help put bring it up during yesterday’s press conference. To review, Michael recently won not only Burghley with La Biosthetique Sam FBW but the FEI European Championships with fischerTakinou on back-to-back weekends — with a broken leg.

Michael replied that it’s on the mend, though, and his doctors are aiming to get the bandage off in a week.

“It’s a strong bandage,” Michael said. “Very safe but very strong so the joint is fixed. So I can’t move — just kick.”

A bandage that allows for no movement except riding your horse forward? EN dubbed Michael “Zee Terminator” a while back, and you’ve got to admit — that’s pretty Terminator-ly. If you end up winning this weekend, Michael, perhaps you should consider putting a patent on that thing.

Best EN reader Facebook comment so far, in response to my dressage wrap-up “The Only Man Who Can Beat Michael Jung Is Michael Jung“…

Everyone keeps talking about what a “French” event Pau is, and they’re not just talking about grape-shaped skinnies…

…random fois gras nestled in amid the cheese pies

and grand, boozy parties every night. (I stopped by the “welcome cocktail” but sadly did not make it to the “very friendly evening followed by dancing party). #liferegrets

When it comes to eventing, the French are very passionate (see my “4 Examples of French Eventing Insanity” the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy) and let’s just say they have their own way of doing things — including cross-country course design. Random jumps here and there, plenty of switchbacks, and a foray onto the adjacent Hippodrome steeplechase track — I literally could not find fences 11 through 21 the first time I walked the course. (p.s. I did finally find them — you can check out my course preview here.)

In this FEI TV interview Paul Tapner, who is currently in 8th place with Indian Mill, explains with a bit of a chuckle:

Here, one rider is literally scratching her chin while having a look at the first water complex, the “Pau Pyrenees Le Gue Route de Bordeaux” at fence 8, (which Mary King does a great job demystifying in this FEI TV video).

The weather couldn’t be lovelier. After layering on all the clothes I’d packed at Boekelo a couple weeks back, I’m particular appreciative of autumn in the south of France. Our weekend forecast:

Don’t forget that you can watch the live stream free!  Jenni even embedded it for us here.

Alternately, you can watch the FEI TV live stream, featuring commentary from the event world’s most brilliant hot air balloon John Kyle — well worth the price of a subscription, in my opinion!

Cross-country begins tomorrow at 2 p.m. local time — that’s 8 a.m. EST, which means you don’t even have to get up too early! Thank you, Pau.

Team Canamerica/Americanada ride times:

Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master: 2:28 p.m. local time (8:28 a.m. EST)

Lillian Heard and Share Option: 2:32 p.m. local time (8:32 a.m. EST)

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda: 4 p.m. local time (10 a.m. EST)

Katie Ruppel and Houdini: 4:20 p.m. local time (10:20 a.m. EST)

Barb Crabo and Eveready: 4:40 p.m. local time (10:40 a.m. EST)

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda, currently in 9th heading into cross-country. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Bonne chance to all of today’s competitors! Go Eventing.

Pau Links: Website, Entry List, Schedule, Cross Country Order of Go, Live Scores, Live Stream, FEI TV, Facebook, @eventingnation, EN’s Instagram