Classic Eventing Nation

Reigning Champs and Raining Champs: Ros Canter Sails to Pau Dressage Lead

By on Oct 25, 2024 5:44 pm -

Ros Canter and Izilot DHI. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

This time twelve months ago, Ros Canter and Izilot DHI cantered into the main arena at Pau – and then ceased motion abruptly when the young, notoriously spooky horse caught sight of the livestream cameraman on the long side of the ring. First, he darted backwards, and then sideways, head and long, long neck held sky high as his tiny rider tried to steady him and regain some semblance of the work she’d established in the warm-up moments earlier. The more she tried, the more Izilot – or Isaac, as he’s known at home – resisted her request to move past the offending camera. The murmurings around the arena increased: it looked very much as though it was about to be a seriously painful test to watch. Would they even make it into the ring? When they got there, would Ros stand any chance at all of navigating the test, or would they end up eliminated for resistance? 

 The bell rang, Ros turned Isaac away from the cameraman – who, unabashed and unaware, continued changing his jacket and adjusting his focal point – and headed down to A. They entered, the board was closed behind them – and then, inexplicably, Isaac got to work. It was as though the camera wasn’t even there. They ended the first phase on a score of 24.3 – good enough for second at the time – and went on to win the competition. 

This year, it was a very different Isaac who entered the arena. He might still be a spooky horse at heart – although Ros’s season-long efforts, including only schooling him away from home, and letting him live out 24/7, have helped – but now, he’s also a horse who really wants to do his job right. That much was evident as Ros cantered him confidently down the chute from the warm-up ring, and when he strode into the arena, he didn’t bat an eyelid at the crowd, the big screen, the flowers, the decorative hedges and cross-country fences – or the cameraman, who was even scarier today in head-to-toe rain gear and a bright red coat. He didn’t even spook at the arena soundtrack, which got odder and odder as the day progressed, and meant that Ros did her test to something that sounded a bit like Enya, if Enya was mad about it. 

Ros Canter and Izilot DHI. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Instead, his entrance was notable for only the positives: push, power, and fluidity, which continued on apace throughout their test and saw them finish the day on an excellent 19. That’s Ros’s best-ever five-star score (she and Isaac also put a 19.9 on the board at Burghley, which does raise some concerns that they might post the 14.3 they were trending at in their trotwork today in twelve months’ time), and it’s also enough to give the pair a 5.6 penalty margin as they begin their campaign to defend their title.

But did the test feel as straightforward as it looked?

“It’s never easy with Isaac – it’s always a challenge!” laughs Ros. “It’s like, ‘did I do enough? Did I do too much [in the warm-up]?’ And actually, today I thought we’d done a bit too much, because he was a little bit heavy on the reins out there. But he really lifted when he came into the arena and heard the clapping for Boyd Martin, and then he was really, really lovely to ride.”

During that entrance, we certainly weren’t the only ones thinking back to last year.

“What I’m really delighted about is that last year, he came in here and found the camera quite spooky, but today, I went in and he just went straight past it,” says Ros. “It shows how much he’s come on in a year.”

Ros Canter and Izilot DHI. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

That progression over the last twelve months means, she continues, that “I suppose I’m starting to get confidence, in a way, in riding him a bit more [elastic]. And so today, I was really pleased with his balance in the medium and extended trot, because he’s got quite a narrow wheel base, and so sometimes he can feel a little bit young and wobbly in those. But today, he felt really stable in it, and that was lovely.” 

Coming in as the reigning champion is always an interesting additional pressure, but for Ros, she knows that it’s best not to think too many steps ahead with Isaac – “it’s all still a fact-finding mission, in a way,” she says. “He’s desperate to jump between the flags these days, he really is, but it’s just all about if something else takes his eye and stops him from seeing the fence or takes him off his line. I know he wants to do the job for me, although the ground conditions would put a question mark in my mind – last year he was held, and we were on the top of the ground, so I was able to run him fast at the end. It’ll be interesting to see how he copes tomorrow. Sometimes we have good days; sometimes, we don’t, so we’ll just enjoy today.”

Ros Canter and Izilot DHI. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Their run here is a reroute from a Burghley that ended early at the Defender Valley, where Isaac ran out at an angled hedge that caused several issues through the day. But, says Ros, the experience wasn’t a bad one – it was just a reminder that nothing’s ever to be taken for granted with Isaac. 

“I was actually really happy with Burghley, on the whole – how he came out of the startbox, how he went through the main arena. He felt as settled and confident as he’s ever felt” she says. “I was happy with the way he took off over the ditch [before the hedge]. He just happened to jink sideways, and at five-star, you can’t afford to do that. You never really know with him – I predicted he’d spook at the stones on the left, and he spooked at the flowerpot on the right! I think my job as a rider has to just be to ride him like he’s not going to spook, and if he does and I can deal with it, great. If I can’t, well, I can’t change his personality, and I can’t change who he is, so I have to just go in with the confidence that he’ll stay on his line. It’s really a split second thing with him.”

Emily King and Valmy Biats. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Also rerouting from Burghley, and starting her campaign very happily, is Emily King and her French-bred partner Valmy Biats, who sit equal second with Oliver Townend and his Kentucky winner Cooley Rosalent on a score of 24.6. 

“I’ve had him for a while now, and he just keeps getting better and better,” says Emily (who did her test to ‘Bet On It’ from High School Musical 2, if the day’s weird music is what you’re here for). “He knows everything in the test now. He’s so sensitive and such an overthinker that when he was a young horse and still learning stuff, he’d go in and just get tense and strong because he tried so hard. Now, I think he’s getting relaxed, and because he knows everything, I’ve got the confidence to just go in and breathe and show him off, softly, without having to override him, and without him getting strong and jeopardising the movement.”

Like Ros and Isaac, Emily was able to eke another 5% out of Valmy simply by making use of Pau’s buzzy atmosphere.

“He felt awesome in the warm-up, and when he went in the ring, the cameras and the crowd really lifted his frame without making him go hot,” she says. “I’d say it was the best feeling I’ve ever had in a test with him, and there were no big mistakes, so it was so nice to be rewarded with a good mark. I’m just so pleased with him.”

Emily King and Valmy Biats. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Pleased, too, no doubt, are brand new owners Paula and David Evans, who are an enormously welcome addition to Emily’s team. Not only have the couple, best known for owning Andrew Hoy’s Vassily de Lassos, taken the reins (so to speak, anyway) on Valmy, they’ve also provided a new ride for Emily in Creevagh Cooley, who was previously campaigned by Andrew.

“They’re absolutely lovely new owners who were really keen on the idea of having a five star horse, and it’s just lovely for them,” says Emily. “This is their first show owning him, so I really want to get off on the right foot. We’ve done the first phase, and now we’ve just got to try and see it through – but I’m really excited for them, and I hope that Val can give them some great years of fun.”

Though most competitors are looking ahead to tomorrow’s tough conditions with grim resignation, Emily is, perhaps, the most fortuitously mounted rider in the field: not only has Valmy got form in the mud, winning Thoresby’s CCI4*-S two years running in questionable ground, but he also lives out in it year-round, merrily mooching around on his own patch of hill in the Cheshire countryside, which lends him an innate sure-footedness no matter what sort of going he encounters. 

“Val loves the mud, he lives in the mud, he is mud,” laughs Emily. “But I’ll still really have to ride how he’s feeling. It’s not a Burghley or Badminton track out there but there are serious accuracy and precision question, which will be really tough if it’s deep and the going is getting turfed up while you’re trying to stick to your lines. It’ll be a proper course and I’ll just ride what I’m feeling underneath me.”

Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

That’s much the name of the game, too, for Oliver and Rosie, who sit on the same score – though, Oliver says wryly, “we’ll probably still see some mad Frenchman having a go at turning a three-and-a-half strides into three!”

But for Rosie, and his two other rides, debutants En Taro Des Vernier (15th on 29.4) and Crazy Du Loir (57th on 36.3), he’s keeping their inexperience at the forefront of his planning – which might sound slightly odd, considering that the Irish-bred mare is already a five-star winner. But she’s also only a ten-year-old, and Oliver hopes to keep her coming out at the top for many seasons yet. 

“She’s not actually seen as much as most of the field, but she’s top, top class, and she’s not a foreign horse, so hopefully that’ll work in our favour tomorrow,” he says. “She’s still green and a baby – I know she’s a Kentucky winner, but normally, when they’ve had a result like that, they need time to recover mentally. But I think she’s very good in the brain, and taking it all in her stride.”

Her lineage, he continues, is another asset in her pocket – even if it means that this phase has taken a little bit of time to come together. 

“Her mother was a Scottish Grand National winner, so she’s 70% Thoroughbred. She’s not bred to do a dressage test, but she’s getting stronger all the time, and she’s getting more confident,” he says. “She’s very, very sensitive, and you’ve got to work around her, but at the same time, she’s definitely one that’s worth working around.”

Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Day one leaders Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality sit fourth overnight on their 25.8, while yesterday’s runners-up, New Zealand’s Clarke Johnstone and his Paris mount Menlo Park, are fifth on 26.3. World Champion Yasmin Ingham moves into sixth place with her two-time Luhmühlen podium-placer Rehy DJ, who delivered a charismatic test with one jolly, celebratory explosion after his final halt to score a 26.5 – “I gave him a fun jump this morning to put him in the right frame of mind for today, and I’m really happy with how well he held it together in there,” she laughs – while New Zealand’s Sam Lissington takes provisional seventh on a 26.7 with Lord Seekonig. 

Samantha Lissington and Lord Seekonig. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

“I was a bit playing catch-up, because the first centerline was lovely, and it was a lovely halt, but then I struck off in a muddle,” says Sam. “So I was having to claw back the rest of the test, but I think the score is pretty good considering that. But he was really good, and stayed with me the whole way. He’s quite a shy person, so it’s nice for him to be brave and show off.”

Selina Milnes and Cooley Snapchat. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Eighth place overnight is held by Britain’s Selina Milnes and Cooley Snapchat on a score of 27.1. 

“He’s usually quite consistent with me on the flat,” says Selina, who handed the reins to Tom McEwen for the trot up as she continues to recover from a skiing injury sustained last winter. “At home he’s been diving – and he was doing it here as well – in his first half pass to his change on the straight line, so from left to right. He’s been diving left and just anticipating it, so I’ve done nothing [in the schooling ring] with it at all, and then he was on the aids in there.”

Tim Price and Jarillo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tim Price debuted smart youngster Jarillo at the level today, and was happy to wrap up his test on a score of 27.2, which is good enough for ninth overnight – and earlier marks, which nearly put the pair in the lead overnight, show just how much promise the ten-year-old has for the future. 

The busy nature of this particular five-star test, and of the step up in complexity on the flat generally, suit Jarillo’s quick, similarly busy brain, says Tim.

“It’s quite good for him – he’s sharp and he looks at things, so it always gives him something to think about. You have to have your leg on around every corner and constantly be positioning him to go. I quite like this test for a youngster, actually.”

Piggy March and Halo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Piggy March and the young stallion Halo round out the top ten on their score of 27.4, and while Piggy was thrilled with her former Blenheim champion’s performance, she was frustrated by some of the broad margins between judges at various points in the test. 

“I can’t figure it out. As a rider, we train, we do analyze test results and the same thing happened at Blenheim [with the judge at B not liking it],” she says with a sigh. “I thought maybe at Blenheim, I had him too up and out. So this time, I thought I’d keep him a bit more round at the base of the neck, and he was very in front of my leg. He was very on the buttons. I don’t know whether I’m just getting something wrong, but I’m not understanding it at the minute. We’re meant to be top athletes, we’re meant to analyze things, and you think, ‘Well, what’s right, what’s wrong?’ I know it’s personal opinions, but it’s nearly a 10% difference. So I’ve come out actually a little bit lost about what I have to do. I’m not being a dick here, but I’m not coming out going, ‘Oh, thank God, I got a good mark.’ I don’t care about the rest of the competition, it’s a complete other thing. It’s going to piss with rain. It’s going to be horrendous! It’s his first 5*. It’s irrelevant! But he’s a lovely little horse and he felt like he gave it all, so what’s my problem? We’re fine tuning the whole time. It’s like, a bit more nose, a bit more pace, a bit more…?”

Her remarks raise a good point about the clarity with which marks are given – after all, the name of the game is constant education and progression, and for a seasoned professional to be left flummoxed about how to move forward shows that there’s work that can be done all around to make sure that that transparency is readily available within the constraints of time and manpower that prevail at events. But scoring aside, Piggy was thrilled with the feeling she got in the ring. 

“I’m delighted. Oh my God, he was amazing. His brain was incredible. So rideable! He wasn’t dropping me at all. He stayed with me like, ‘I’m here to show myself off,’” she beams.

Boyd Martin and Miss Lulu Herself. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Boyd Martin came forward with his second ride of the week – and another application of concealer – to score a 30.1 with Miss Lulu Herself, putting her into 21st position after the first phase of her five-star debut. He also sits sixteenth overnight with yesterday’s ride, Fedarman B, on a score of 29.5. 

Will Coleman and Off The Record. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It was a tougher day in the office for Will Coleman and the ordinarily very consistent Off The Record, who broke to canter in the medium trot and then continued on into a test that was peppered with small mistakes. They ultimately earned a 33.2 for 39th, which might feel rather off the boil at this stage, but come tomorrow, it’ll see them well in the hunt. Yesterday’s glorious sunshine didn’t do much to firm up the already deep footing, and today, we’ve been heaped upon by the rain, which is set to continue through the night and into tomorrow, and has already prompted several changes to the tough, twisty, achingly precise course designed by Pierre Michelet. We’ve got more insights into the challenge to come ahead of tomorrow’s sport beginning at 11.30 a.m. local time (10.30 a.m. BST/5.30 a.m. EST) here – but for now, suffice it to say that tomorrow’s leaderboard will be like today’s, if today’s got stuck in a tumble dryer for a couple of hours and then spilled out onto the kitchen floor, probably into a puddle of leakage. Nice stuff! Delightful! Weird sport, this! 

The top ten at the end of dressage at Pau.

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Take a Gander at Pierre Michelet’s CCI5* Course at Les 5 Ètoiles de Pau + What Riders are Saying

By on Oct 25, 2024 3:50 pm -

Photo via CrossCountryApp.

It’s now time to turn our attention to the cross country test that awaits at Les 5 Ètoiles de Pau in the south of France, where torrential downpours have ravaged the venue with moisture. This weather turn has promoted event officials to make some amendments to Pierre Michelet’s course to ensure the safety of all riders and horses tomorrow.

Below, we’ll round up what the riders are saying about this year’s track, but first let’s take a look at its makeup.

Pierre has reversed the direction of the course this year for the first time since 2021, making for a busier first section of the track that takes riders on a different loop through the first six fences, after which they will encounter their first real opportunity to gain some time on the clock. This year’s course also features five water questions, utilizing the main water complex on three occasions and the second complex twice. Par to Pierre’s style, there are plenty of suck-it-in skinnies placed on the course, as well as multiple narrow “stump” type fences which can be prone to catching a leg here and there, especially late or early on course.

You can click through each question on course in the CrossCountryApp plan embedded below or by clicking here.

Now, let’s talk about the changes that have been made this evening by officials.

The first fence that’s been taken off is fence 17, a trakehner fence set on the racecourse section of the track, due to poor footing.

Photo via CrossCountryApp.

Also removed from the course are fence 28, a single oxer, and the A element of the 28ABCD combination — always an influential one at Pau, and it still could be even with the removal of the A element, which was a brush rolltop. The takeoff and landing spots were given as the reason for removal, and the ground crew will also place sand at the takeoff and landing of all fences in the morning to ensure more stable going for the horses.

Some changes have also been made to the roping of the track, creating a more direct route from fence 9 to 10 and again from 22 to 23, avoiding some of the more heavily saturated gallop areas in doing so.

The optimum time for this year’s course was originally set at 11:25, making it lengthier than its recent iterations, though that time is likely to be modified according to the changes that have been made. Officials will meet again in the morning to make any further adjustments needed to the track.

Let’s hear a bit from the riders as they react to Pierre’s design this year:

🇬🇧 Ros Canter – Izilot DHI – 19 – 1st / MHS Seventeen – 31.7 – 31st

I think when you’re riding wet conditions, there is an element that actually, you need to get stuck in anyway, just to help the horses and give them the best positive experience possible. But it’s also very much about taking every jump as it comes, riding the horse underneath you and being prepared to change plans along the way. Of course, it would be lovely to say I’m going to go out and try and make the time on both my horses but I think very much things will change hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second when we’re actually out on course.

🇬🇧 Emily King – Valmy Biats – 24.6 – 2nd=

I know they’re going to make some adaptations to make it kinder on the horses, but the going is still soft. Val[my Biats] he loves the mud. He lives out in the mud. He is mud! But obviously you’re going to have to really vibe with how they’re feeling. And also, I think with the going being deep, it’s not like a Burghley or Badminton track out there, but there’s serious accuracy, containment, precision questions, which, if it’s deep and you’re having to stick on your line and the going is getting turned up, it’s going to make it really tough. I think it’ll be a proper course tomorrow and we’re going to have to really ride what’s underneath us not get carried away with the time, really just go with how they’re feeling.

🇬🇧 Oliver Townend – Cooley Rosalent – 24.6 – 2nd= / En Taro Des Vernier – 29.4 – 15th / Crazy Du Loir – 36.3 – 57th

I think it’s polar opposite to what we had last week in Maryland, in terms of, Maryland was huge. This isn’t huge, but it’s obviously technical. I think on good to firm ground, the time would have been extremely difficult to get because of the twistiness and technicality of the course. I think he [Pierre Michelet] wanted you on the wing and a prayer at some of the distances. Because of the rain, now I don’t think that’s going to happen. Maybe a couple of ‘mad French’ ones might have a go at getting the three and half strides into three, but I’m on babies – two first timers and a 10-year-old so I’m just going to look after them.

🇬🇧 Tom McEwen – Brookfield Quality – 25.8 – 4th

I think this is a different test again. I actually think Luhmuhlen, considering we look at it as a foreign track, it’s very smooth and rolling and forward distances. This [Pau] you got to make a few choices. It’s not the biggest, but at the same time it’s nearly like doing two 4*S. There’s a few minutes out on the Gallop track, or whatever you call it. It’s just so intense. I think the time will be really quick. You’ve just got to be there or there abouts and then go for it on Saturday, and actually maybe the early draw with the sun on his back today and the best of the ground on Saturday might be really beneficial.

🇬🇧 Yasmin Ingham – Rehy DJ – 26.5 – 6th

It’s definitely a true, strong, five-star track. There’s plenty of places that Pierre has given you opportunity to miss your line or your distance. So it’s definitely very French built. Everything’s quite forward, but it’s nice when you get onto the race course, you can really open them up and hopefully get up on your minutes by the time you get on this side of the race course, when you’re doing this and twisting and turning again. So you’ve got to have definitely a very agile horse for this sort of track, and ones that can be quite nippy around the bends and then open up on the straights. But it looks a beautiful track.

lt’s a bit soft in places, so I definitely will have to see how it goes during the day. I mean, I’m obviously in the last half, I would say. So I’m assuming that the conditions will vary throughout the day, and whether they’ll get better or worse, I’m not sure yet, but we’ll have a plan and then if it needs to be adjusted, we’ll have A, B, C, D, etc.

🇬🇧 Selina Milnes – Cooley Snapchat – 27.1 – 8th

I don’t like the start, one two. Literally one off ? bend, two that big table. I know I can really help, [get in the air over that?], and I think that might make him a bit careful. I’m hoping. I don’t like this loop at all, down here. I’m hoping, if it rains, that’s what they’re going to take out. it’s just so twisty, and the water – you jump in, and go round again, jump in again. Not the best Pau track I’ve seen, but we’ll see. He’s pretty versatile and he’s not strong. I’m actually quite glad. The other two, you wouldn’t want to bring the other two big rangy strong ones., yeah. But he’s usually very on the aids.

🇨🇳 Alex Hua Tian – Chiko – 28.9 – 13th

I was hoping that we’d be galloping around twisty turns on the top of the ground, and I think we’re galloping around twisty turns, but in the middle of the ground. So I think we’ll see he’s, he’s, he wouldn’t be an endurance athlete specialist, which is, but he’s, he’s a great jumper. He tries so hard. He’s got huge heart. And I think he’ll have, he’ll definitely have a good crack jumping everything tomorrow

🇺🇸 Boyd Martin – Fedarman B – 29.5 – 16th= / Miss Lulu Herself – 30.1 – 21st

To have a horse like Bruno to go out first for me at Pau – I’m so confident in him, and he’d be one of the best cross country horses I’ve ever had. So I’ve got my tail up, but it’s a mission out there [on the cross country] for sure.

🇬🇧 Caroline Harris – D. Day – 33.3 – 22nd

It’s probably more twisty than Luhmuhlen. There’s a lot of roll tops on mounds, curve into corners and stuff like that. The water isn’t quite such a big jump in as Luhmuhlen – that he got a little bit scared with! But he will keep trying and trying and trying for me, bless him, so we’ll see!

🇬🇧 Kylie Roddy – SRS Kan Do – 31.4 – 29th

The first field is really wet; whether they’re going to make us go through that as many times as they’ve done at the moment, or whether they take some out, I don’t know, but it’s wet and it’s twisty in the first field. The twisting on the wet ground is going to be quite hard and you don’t want to be falling over on the flat, that’d be a silly thing to have happen. It’s going to be influential. I think Pierre Michelet has done what he always does, as in, the course is very different but he makes you decide whether you’re going to sit and ride straight for a stride before you turn or whether you turn up off the blind and see what your horse can do. Lots of water crossings this time. The first water is very strong – you’ll know where you’re at when you come out of there, whether you’ve got one that’s on it or whether you’ve got one that you’re going to have to work a bit harder on. I think we’ve got five waters in total this time, the two on the racecourse and you come back in and you cross the last water twice. Whenever you go through the water, the time’s always hard anyway, so with five waters and some wet ground we could see a very different leaderboard tomorrow.

Cheg Darlington contributed to this report.

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US Equestrian Open Comes to Bouckaert International for Second Qualifier; Phillip Dutton Emerges as Favorite

By on Oct 25, 2024 11:31 am -

The anticipation builds as the US Equestrian Open Series continues its inaugural season this weekend at Bouckaert International Horse Trials in Georgia.

Following a successful series launch with the spectacular opener at Morven Park earlier this month that saw Emily Beshear and Rio de Janeiro claim victory, the stage is set for new contenders to make their mark.

The second leg of the innovative US Equestrian Open series heads to Bouckaert International Horse Trials this weekend, promising to deliver another round of world-class competition as riders vie for crucial series points and substantial prize money in this groundbreaking championship format.

Olympic veteran Phillip Dutton stands out as the frontrunner at Bouckaert, with the prediction centre highlighting Dutton as the clear favorite with a 48% chance of victory and 74% chance of a podium finish with his mount Jewelent. His recent performances have been impressive, including a third-place finish at Millspring, NC in September and a second place at Bouckaert in March with the same horse.

As one of the top contenders in the field, Dutton will be focusing on securing early points this weekend to establish a strong position on the leaderboard. His experience and consistent performances make him a key figure to watch in the upcoming competition.

Dutton has also shown strong form with his other mounts, coming close to podium positions with Imposant at Aiken and with Denim at Bouckaert. His strategy of maintaining multiple 4* level horses could prove advantageous throughout the series.

Following in the predictions is Sara Kozumplik with Rock Phantom at 15% win chance, while Christina Henriksen with Cisco’s Calor Z and Jennie Jarnstrom aboard Flower Girl are equal with a 10% chance of victory.

The competition features just one returning competitor from the Morven Park opener – Julia Ennis Batters with Cooley O. Having secured 10 series points with her seventh-place finish at the first qualifier, Batters enters Bouckaert with valuable experience and points already on the board.

The first qualifier at Morven Park set a high bar, introducing fresh faces to the spotlight with impressive performances from emerging talents like Ema Klugman and Arden Wildasin. This weekend’s competition at Bouckaert promises similar excitement, with every rider eyeing both immediate success and valuable series points.

The strength of the field is evident with several accomplished combinations vying for top honors. Adding intrigue to the competition, Katherine Malensek brings forward two talented mounts in her quest for series points. Her partnership with STX Mex carries an 8% chance of victory and a strong 39% probability of a top-three finish, while her second ride Landjaeger, though showing a more modest 4% win chance, but still maintains a solid 26% chance of reaching the podium. This dual-mount strategy could prove particularly valuable in the context of the series’ overall standings.

The US Equestrian Open series represents a significant evolution in American eventing, comprising 18 qualifying events culminating in a championship final at Morven Park in 2025. The innovative format allows riders to accumulate points from their best six qualifier results, creating a season-long narrative of competition and consistency. With substantial prize money at stake – including $25,000 for first place, $15,000 for second, and $10,000 for third at each qualifier – and a final prize pool of $200,000, the series has already begun attracting top talent.

For more stats and figures around this qualifier leg, view the full EquiRatings Form Guide here. You can also follow along for updates from the weekend in the EquiRatings WhatsApp channel here.

Follow all the action as it unfolds at Bouckaert International 4* – S through our live results and leaderboard.

With the series still in its early stages, strong performances at Bouckaert could prove crucial in the long-term championship battle, making this weekend’s competition a pivotal moment in the inaugural US Equestrian Open series.

Stay up to date with news and standings of the US Equestrian Open Series on Facebook and Instagram. Follow US Equestrian on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Use #USEquestrianOpen.

U.S. Eventing Chef d’Equipe & Technical Advisor Bobby Costello Steps Away: What’s Next for U.S. Eventing?

By on Oct 25, 2024 9:00 am -

Bobby Costello looks on during a Team USA training session in Chile. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

US Equestrian announced yesterday that the current U.S. Eventing Technical Advisor and Chef d’Equipe Bobby Costello has made the decision to step away from his role after the conclusion of his contract, which ends on November 30.

“It has been an incredible journey with this program and this role has brought me so much purpose over the past two years. For both personal and professional reasons, I have decided it’s time to step away and allow a fresh face to continue moving this program forward towards the success I know we’re capable of producing as a country and program,” Bobby said in a press release. “It’s been an honor to work alongside our athletes, team staff, owners, and supporters to bring some incredible moments of success back to the U.S. over the past two years. It’s bittersweet, but I am looking forward to continuing to support our U.S. Eventing Team in the years to come.”

It’s no secret that the U.S. eventing program has seen its share of ups and downs since the early 2000s, when the last Olympic team medals and most recent World Championship medal had been won (prior to the silver earned at Pratoni in 2022). It was Capt. Mark Phillips who helmed the team during that hey-day, acting as Chef d’Equipe until 2012 when he was succeeded by David O’Connor.

Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice, individual bronze medalists in Rio (2016). Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Aside from an individual bronze won by Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice at the 2016 Olympics, it wouldn’t be until Pratoni in 2022, under the early leadership of then-interim Chef Bobby Costello, that the U.S. would see medal success on a global championship level. In between, Erik Duvander (NZL) also led the team, building on the framework left by his predecessors toward the success in Pratoni.

Of course, no program’s success or lack thereof can be attributed to one single person or one turn of events; particularly in a country as large and logistically challenging at the U.S., complications abound for anyone in a Chef’s shoes. One could pull together several threads to paint the picture of that silver medal in Pratoni (or, equally, that of a disappointing finish for the U.S. in Paris this summer, when they finished seventh as a nation), including the allowance of the program for riders to retain the integrity of their own programs with their own coaches, and the addition of the likes of Ian Stark as a cross country advisor.

Team USA earns silver at the 2022 World Championships for Eventing in Pratoni, Italy. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

So, where does the program go from here? Who should be named as the next Chef d’Equipe for the Americans?

Those questions remain to be answered.

Truthfully, it’s not uncommon to see something of a “coaching carousel” akin to what you see in the off-season in many major sporting leagues. Change is one thing that is constant, and change is not always a bad thing.

What we do know is that there has been, on paper at least, a more concerted effort in recent years from the federation to develop a more complete system for horses and riders to emerge as senior championship contenders. This includes changes made to the Eventing Pathway Program, which offers pipeline opportunities from the Young Rider ranks up for assistance with coaching and competitive development. There has been an increased effort made to send riders overseas for experience in Nations Cup competitions, though some stakeholders would argue that the decisions on who receives funding lacks transparency, and still we see riders seemingly slipping through the cracks.

Bobby, after the conclusion of the Olympics, expressed a concern that there were not enough riders coming up the ranks, even so. There also remains the evergreen challenge of finding those needle in a haystack medal-winning horses, not to mention the time it takes to develop them from young horses. Riders are globally affected by the lack of funding in the sport that secures (and keeps) them said good horses, and there is a large gap in prize monies in comparison to eventing’s Olympic counterparts, show jumping and dressage. The formation of the US Equestrian Open, which concludes with a $200,000+ prize fund in the Championship CCI4*-L at Morven Park in 2025, will inject some much-needed prize money into the U.S. pool.

Julie Wolfert and SSH Playboy win the first US Equestrian Open qualifier leg at Morven Park. Photo by Sally Spickard.

So, the new successor will be tasked with finding a way to pull all of these threads together in a cohesive way — and truly, it’s a higher-pressure than usual scenario to step into with a home Olympics looming large in 2028. All eyes will be on the U.S. to demonstrate success at the World Championships at Aachen in 2026 to springboard into a medal performance in Los Angeles, and really there is no reason to think this is outside of the realm of possibility, given the program’s recent improvements.

US Equestrian could take the route of hiring an individual into more of a management advisory role, allowing riders to retain their own coaches or hiring Technical Advisors across the three disciplines. They could also hire someone with prior team leadership experience and/or a proven track record for championship performances; riders such as Andrew Nicholson, Mark Todd, Bettina Hoy, and William Fox-Pitt have all gone on to advise other nations. It also wouldn’t be a surprising move if the likes of Leslie Law, who has acted as the U.S. Eventing Emerging and Development Coach for several years, stepped up to this position considering his existing tenure in the pathway program.

Suffice it to say, we’ll be eager to see what unfolds in this next step for the U.S. eventing program, which US Equestrian says will be coming in the near future.

“I know I speak for everyone when I say Bobby’s commitment and leadership in this role helped the program find its feet and has set us on the upward trajectory towards future success,” said Amber Braun, Managing Director of Eventing at US Equestrian, in a press release. “We’re incredibly sad to see Bobby depart this role but have nothing but gratitude and respect for the achievements and contributions he has made to U.S. Eventing during his term. We wish him all the best in his next chapter, and we will continue to focus on the LA 2028 Olympic Games.”

For additional questions, please contact Amber Braun, Managing Director of Eventing, at [email protected].

Friday News & Notes from Stable View

By on Oct 25, 2024 12:01 am -

Photo via Waredaca on Facebook.

A fun throwback for you this morning from the Waredaca Classic Three-Day, which is happening this weekend! We all know and love Max Corcoran as one of the original #supergrooms who can be found at most major events around the world helping riders care for their horses. Max competed at this incredible event many moons again on Walk On the Moon (aka Danny, aka The Big Banana!), and none other than the great Karen O’Connor helped groom for her throughout the weekend! Check out those perfect braids! Raise your hand if you think we should stage a comeback….

U.S. Weekend Preview

Bouckaert International & H.T. (GA) *US Equestrian Open Qualifier*: [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Waredaca Classic Three-Day and H.T. (MD): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

YEH West Coast Championships at Twin Rivers (CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring]

Hitching Post Farm H.T. (VT): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring]

Major International Events

Les 5 Etoiles de Pau (France): [Website] [Entries] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

News & Reading

The 2024 Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse West Coast Championships are just around the corner, and it’s time to get excited! USEventing has all the fast facts you need to know about this prestigious competition showcasing the future stars of eventing. Set to take place at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, the championships will feature top young horses competing for the title, as they demonstrate their potential to become tomorrow’s elite horses. Head over to USEA’s full article for key details on the event schedule, competitors, and more.

Looking to find your next eventing superstar? The Monart Sale, one of the most prestigious horse sales in the world, is just around the corner! Held in Co. Wexford, Ireland, the sale features top-quality event horses hand-selected by some of the best in the business. With a proven track record of producing elite-level competitors, this is the place to find your future champion. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to view these exceptional horses—head to The Monart Sale website for all the details, including viewing schedules, catalogs, and how to bid.

Why does diversity in equine media matter? Photographer and advocate Shelley Paulson dives into this important topic in her latest article, exploring how increasing representation in equine media can create a more inclusive industry. Paulson highlights the power of diverse storytelling to reach new audiences, foster empathy, and reflect the true breadth of the equestrian community. This is a must-read for anyone passionate about the future of equestrian sports and media! Check out the full article on LinkedIn for an insightful look into why diversity matters.

Hot On Horse Nation: Suppleness is key to unlocking your horse’s full potential, but understanding the different types of suppleness is just as important. In Horse Nation’s latest article, we explore how flexibility, relaxation, and strength come together to form a well-rounded training approach. Whether you’re working on dressage movements or aiming for better overall performance, this guide will help you develop a supple, more responsive horse. Dive into the full article for expert tips on training the right way.

Sponsor Corner: Stable View

Catch up all the latest news from Stable View, including ongoing Hurricane Helene clean-up, the upcoming Thoroughbred Incentive Program Championships happening this weekend, and much more on the Stable View website here.

Video Break

Welcome home to Galileo Nieuwmoed, the podium finishing partner of David Doel, who has returned home safely from his big adventure in Maryland last week:

Thursday at Pau: Tom McEwen Takes Decisive Day One Lead with ‘Nervous Norris’

By on Oct 24, 2024 3:46 pm -

Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

I’m going to be totally, wholly, and completely honest with you here: sometimes, on this funny Thursday at Pau, which is split by a morning horse inspection and an afternoon dressage session, I struggle to commit. It’s just, like, a bit weird, isn’t it, when you’re used to devoting one day’s energies to watching horses trot in a line and then maybe going and walking a course, and then devoting the whole of the next two days to the going-in-circles-and-sometimes-diagonals-too bit. It somehow makes everything feel like a Tuesday and a Wednesday and a Thursday all rolled into one, which doesn’t even make sense, because why would it feel like a Tuesday? And yet, it does. Who knows, man. 

This lack of commitment is often compounded by the fact that the short afternoon session often doesn’t have a high enough competitor capacity to yield anything wildly exciting, results-wise, and so I end up watching twelve tests with a beady eye, wondering which 32.5 will end up being the leading 32.5, and thus irritating absolutely everyone, including myself, by interviewing all of them just in case nothing better comes along. 

But today’s petite first day at the final five-star of the season actually gave us all plenty to sink our teeth into today, and thank the lord for that, right? October is hard enough without having to pretend to be enthusiastic about dressage when you’re not really feeling that enthusiastic about dressage. But when you begin the day with a smart sub-30 test – which we did, thanks to returning Maryland champion Oliver Townend and his five-star debutant, the Upsilon son Entaro des Vernier – it does set a bit of a merry tone. And when you finish the day with an overnight leader on a score of 25.8, which will actually give tomorrow’s competitors a seriously lofty standard to try to beat? Even better, my friend. 

Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

That 25.8 was handily delivered by Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality, who, at fifteen, is well established as one of the most consistent horses on the flat in this field: in his 30 previous FEI tests, with Tom and with prior riders Piggy March or Kevin McNab, he’s stepped into the 30s in this phase just twice. 

And so he was always, perhaps, going to give us the goods today, especially with two international scores in the mid-20s over the last couple of months, but for Tom, it was particularly gratifying to feel that his horse was properly rewarded for his efforts today. 

“I was delighted with his test at Luhmühlen as well,” says Tom, who scored a 28.3 at the German five-star back in June, “but I felt that he was a bit harshly marked there – although I got into trouble for saying that at the time! But I’d put the two performances on a par. I actually nearly felt like the other test suited him better – this one is a bit tougher for him. It’s a bit quicker, with lots of changes of rein and changes of contact, so it requires a lot of suppleness.”

In both cases, though, Tom couldn’t fault ‘Norris’, who he took over from fellow Brookfield rider Piggy March in late 2022. 

“He was amazing. He sailed through his test, and did everything really well,” he says. “I slightly lost him a little bit in the counter with the softness. But he nailed absolutely everything, and I’m really pleased with him. He’s definitely come on, and he’s getting stronger – we’re getting to know each other a bit better now.”

Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

One of the major moments that helped them get to know one another was that five-star debut at Luhmühlen earlier this year – one that ended a bit dramatically and very oddly. They were among the last pairs on course on cross-country day and had made it two-thirds of the way around the track in fine style when a patch of dangerous weather rolled in – one so bad that Tom nearly elected to pull himself up. But he didn’t need to; the officials on course quickly made the call to start a hold, and Tom and Norris hunkered down in a tunnel of trees, bracing themselves against the extraordinary wind that battered them with acorns and tree matter. When they were given the go-ahead to start again, the gelding suffered an uncharacteristic nosebleed – and a heavy one, at that – and Tom opted to retire. 

“That was the weirdest weather, and it’s hard to explain to anyone what happened – you sound like you’re being on those people that are being dramatic and making something up to just formulate a bit of happiness,” he laughs. “But it was unbelievably strange. He was flying up to that point, and I was delighted with him – I had a great feeling. He’s had a great last couple of runs, and I think this is a different test again.”

And, he continues, “I’d say he’s fitter this time around, which meant two weeks ago, I was slightly struggling on the flat, but you just know as soon as he gets to a show, he’s awesome. He knows what he’s doing, and then you just trust him from there on out.”

 

Clarke Johnstone and Menlo Park. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

New Zealand’s Clarke Johnstone and his Olympic mount, the fourteen-year-old Menlo Park, sit second overnight on a 26.1 – a score that means that we already have a margin of less than a time penalty at the business end of the leaderboard.

“I’m thrilled with him – he felt beautiful,” says Clarke, who’s had the ride on the British-bred gelding since late 2021. “He was really focused, and he was really relaxed, with a nice energy. And I mean, there were a couple of small errors, but otherwise I could hardly fault him, really. He was just completely with me – mind on the job, giving me everything.”

Menlo Park is always at his best in a competition environment, Clarke tells us – a big change from the horse he is at home, where, his rider laughs, “he’s actually a pain in the neck! He’s beautiful at the shows. When you get him to a show, he works really hard and focuses really well. But at home, he sees something in the hay bales at the end of the indoor and something in the muck bin beside the outdoor, and anything that moves in the hedge is very concerning. It’s quite surprising, really, that he comes to these big shows and he just completely focuses, and he’s not spooky at all.” 

This year has been a big one for Clarke and Menlo Park: they represented New Zealand at the Paris Olympics, a competition so bustling and busy that Clarke knew it would be perfect for his horse. 

“The Olympics was very full on and I thought he would take it all in his stride – and he really did. He never missed a beat; he was a real professional. But I thought he would be, because that kind of stuff, people and noise doesn’t really worry him.”

It’s a great feeling to be on a horse who thrives in an atmosphere at an event like Pau, where the roping is tight and the crowds of spectators are about as enthusiastic and vocal as they come – and for Clarke, who’s making his first five-star start since 2017, it’s even nicer when factored in as one of the ingredients of his return to the top tier of the cake. 

Oliver Townend and En Taro Des Vernier. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

This afternoon’s pathfinders, Oliver Townend and En Taro Des Vernier (whose name always, regrettably, makes me think of this), sit in third place on their smart score of 29.4 – very nearly the ten-year-old’s best-ever upper-level score.

“That’s the stage he’s at, and he couldn’t do much better – if he was on a 28, that’d be his peak at the minute, but he just missed one change because he’s a nervous horse,” says Oliver. “But he’s nervous in a strange way: he goes inwards, and becomes very numb, so I sometimes feel like I’m just driving him all the way through. But he’s got a nice brain, and I think he’s a good horse for the future.”

En Taro Des Vernier is yet another grey five-star horse for Oliver, whose best horses throughout his career have all required stocks in purple shampoo, but he’s also, the rider says, very much his own person. 

“He’s more than a character, which Upsilon [progeny] are, I think, in general,” says Oliver. “He pretends he’s fizzy and hot, but he’s lazy and cold at the same time, so you can very easily be made to look a monkey by him! But he loves his job – he’s always got his ears pricked, and he’s a bit of a playboy. In the medium canters, if you do it without a buck, that’s a win. He’s got a great attitude, though, and he loves his cross-country, and he’s jumped to a decent level, too, as a young horse. We’ve only had him a couple of years, but we’re happy with the progression he’s made so far.”

 

Boyd Martin and Fedarman B. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

A dab of concealer under each eye didn’t quite hide the after-effects of a tough week in the office at Maryland for Boyd Martin – but, he assures us, “every day, I’m feeling better and better – I’m nearly 100% now.” 

That turnaround from last week is down, he says, to plenty of help from his support team: “I was a bit battered and bruised after Maryland, but it’s a big thanks to my yoga instructor and my physio, who stretched me out. I should be all good for Saturday.”

The first of his two rides when cross-country day rolls around will be the very experienced Fedarman B, who has previously finished eighth here and at Luhmühlen, and was his partner for this summer’s Olympic Games – and that, he confesses, is a blessing. 

“I got driven into the ground last weekend twice, and so to have a horse like Bruno to go out first for me at Pau – I’m so confident in him, and he’d be one of the best cross country horses I’ve ever had,” he says. “So I’ve got my tail up, but it’s a mission out there for sure.”

Boyd Martin and Fedarman B. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

They’ve started their week in a competitive position, putting a 29.5 on the board for overnight fourth place with a test that really pulled the team’s collective work together. 

“I’ve never, ever got through a test without fumbling his left to right flying change, so I have to say a big thank you to my wife Silva, who took him to a lot of big dressage shows between now and Paris, and he finally got the hang of them,” says Boyd. “So I had four good, clean changes in there. I think that test would have potentially scored a bit better tomorrow afternoon, but I don’t think he could have gone better.”

Tomorrow afternoon will see Boyd return to the ring with Miss Lulu Herself, who’s part of the penultimate session and will head between the boards at 16.19 (15.19 BST/10.19 a.m. EST). 

 

Fiona Kashel and Creevagh Silver de Haar. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The top five is rounded out on day one by Britain’s Fiona Kashel and Creevagh Silver de Haar, who posted an excellent 29.7 that provoked a little flurry of happy tears as Fiona rode out of the arena. 

“He just tries so hard for me,” she says, beaming. “He’s just an absolute gem. We used to get 35s the whole time, and he’s just got better with age.”

Dressage coach Damian Hallam has been the wizard behind the serious uptick in performances, she says.

“He’s just amazing, and he’s made a massive difference. [Creevagh Silver de Haar] was just so on my side in there, and he just did a completely clear round – he did everything I asked of him. I just love him: he’s 16, and he’s just a bit of a steady Eddie. He’s always sort of done an average test; he normally has one run out cross country; and then he has a couple of show jumps down. But a good friend of mine, Marti Rudd, who runs the Monbeg Stud, said to me, ‘go and do these five stars with him, so then, when you get there on something that could be really competitive, you’ve actually got the experience’. So I thought I’d just keep going with him, but he just actually gets better and better.”

Another key to cracking the gelding’s best work has been learning how to adapt to his needs. 

“The less I work him, the better he is. So I worked him yesterday, and he was a bit tight, so I did work him properly yesterday, but today I haven’t been on him. He’s just grazed – but he’s so easy, bless him, he just comes out and does his thing,” she says. “I used to have a few hot horses that I used to ride and ride and ride. And actually, it’s being brave enough not to ride them. And even when I was getting on, I’m giving it half an hour – I’m thinking, ‘don’t get on any any earlier!’”

One of the first people to meet Fiona on her way out of the ring was close friend, fellow competitor, and arguably the smiliest person in the sport, Kylie Roddy – notably, Fiona’s roadtrip partner when the pair went to Luhmühlen a couple of seasons ago and both had a successful week in the ribbons. Since then, they’ve been the paragon of brilliant, supportive, incredibly jolly female friendship at events. 

“Kylie’s come out with me [to walk the course], bless her, and she’s so laid back, so she’s such a good influence. She’s like, ‘Yeah, that’s three and a half. I’ll do that on three’. She’s a good influence on me – she’s amazing, although she does say naughty words,” laughs Fiona.

Fiona Kashel and Kylie Roddy. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

As she walks away down the chute to the stables, Kylie runs over to her and grabs her arm. In the hush of the dressage arena, all we can hear is a not-totally-faint, but totally unapologetic, “FUCK yes, girl!”

Tomorrow’s a jam-packed day of dressage, starting at 9.00 a.m. (8.00 a.m. BST/3.00 a.m. EST) with Germany’s Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo first in the ring. We’ll see Will Coleman and Off The Record come forward at 14.00 (13.00 BST/8.00 a.m. EST), and Boyd Martin and Miss Lulu Herself at 16.19 (15.19 BST/10.19 a.m. EST) – plus, a whole host of exciting global entries and contenders for the win. Check out the times in full here, and join us tomorrow for a recap of all the action. Until then: Go Eventing!

The top ten overnight.

Les 5 Etoiles de Pau: [Website] [Entries] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

Our Pyrenees Ponies: Your Form Guide to Les 5 Étoiles de Pau 2024

By on Oct 24, 2024 1:04 pm -

And just like that, we’ve come to this: the last 5* of our Olympic year (say it ain’t so!). Our field of 73 come up to the Pyrénées mountains to finish out our season, with everyone from tested Olympic partnerships to a healthy handful of rookie riders and pairs. Let’s see what this ragtag group has on offer as we prepare to send out 2024 with a bang!

Les 5 Etoiles de Pau (France): [Website] [Entries] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [Ultimate Guide]

Our coverage of Pau is brought to you by our incredible supporters, Kentucky Performance Products, your one-stop shop for science-backed nutritional products to keep your horse feeling their best at all times. They’ll even get on the phone with you to help you formulate a solid supplementation plan for your horse’s individual needs! We’d really appreciate your support of KPP, as they’re champions for our sport and beyond and are wonderful people to boot. Check them out here.

Want to jump straight to your favorite horse and rider? Click the links below to jump to their section (the combinations are listed in alphabetical order by country and last name; entries listed by draw number):

  • AUSTRALIA

    • Samantha Cesnik and Graftango (AUS)
    Isabel English and Cil Dara Dallas (AUS)

  • AUSTRIA

    • Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line (AUT)

  • BELGIUM

    • Wouter de Cleene and Quintera (BEL)
    Senne Vervaeck and Google van Alsingen (BEL)

  • CHINA

    • Alex Hua Tian and Chicko (CHN)

  • DENMARK

    • Sara Bech Strøm and Dicte Aldrup (DEN)

  • FRANCE

    • Luc Chateau and Cocorico de l’Ebat (FRA)
    Luc Chateau and Viens du Mont (FRA)
    Arthur Duffort and Toronto d’Aurois (FRA)
    Florian Ganneval and Erebor de Fleyres (FRA)
    Camille Lejeune and Dame Decoeur Tardonne (FRA)
    Cedric Lyard and Unum de’Or (FRA)
    Arthur Marx and Church’ile (FRA)
    Benjamin Massie and Filao de Perle (FRA)
    Louis Seychal and Bakar de l’Ocean LA (FRA)

  • GREAT BRITAIN

    • Laura Birley and Bob Cotton Bandit (GBR)
    Imo Brook and San Solo (GBR)
    Rosalind Canter and Izilot DHI (GBR)
    Rosalind Canter and MHS Seventeen (GBR)
    Kirsty Chabert and Classic VI (GBR)
    Kirsty Chabert and Opposition Heraldik Girl (GBR)
    Pippa Funnell and MCS Maverick (GBR)
    Caroline Harris and D. Day (GBR)
    Ben Hobday and Shadow Man (GBR)
    Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ (GBR)
    Tom Jackson and Plot Twist B (GBR)
    Fiona Kashel and Creevagh Silver de Haar (GBR)
    Emily King and Valmy Biats (GBR)
    Katie Magee and Treworra (GBR)
    Piggy March and Halo (GBR)
    Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality (GBR)
    Selina Milnes and Cooley Snapchat (GBR)
    Aimee Penny and PSH Encore (GBR)
    Aimee Penny and PSH Gazelle (GBR)
    Jack Pinkney and Rehy Revelation (GBR)
    Kylie Roddy and SRS Kan Do (GBR)
    Tom Rowland and KND Steel Pulse (GBR)
    Tom Rowland and Quintilius (GBR)
    Storm Straker and Fever Pitch (GBR)
    Zara Tindall and Class Affair (GBR)
    Alexander Tordoff and Cool Jack (GBR)
    Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent (GBR)
    Oliver Townend and Crazy du Loir (GBR)
    Oliver Townend and En Taro des Vernier (GBR)
    Isabel White and Icarus (GBR)

  • GERMANY

    • Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo (GER)
    Arne Bergendahl and Luthien NRW (GER)

  • IRELAND

    • Daragh Byrne and Kilcannon Ramiro (IRL)
    Ian Cassells and Millridge Atlantis (IRL)
    Dominic Furnell and Bellscross Guy (IRL)
    Dominic Furnell and Ivanhoe (IRL)
    Robbie Kearns and Ballyvillane OBOS (IRL)
    Robbie Kearns and Chance Encounter (IRL)
    Jennifer Kuehnle and Sammy Davis Junior (IRL)
    Joseph Murphy and Belline Fighting Spirit (IRL)
    Patrick Whelan and Ikoon Lan (IRL)

  • ITALY

    • Paolo Torlonia and ESI Bethany Bay (ITA)

  • LITHUANIA

    • Aistis Vitkauskas and Commander VG (LTU)

  • NEW ZEALAND

    • James Avery and MBF Connection (NZL)
    Clarke Johnstone and Menlo Park (NZL)
    Samantha Lissington and Lord Seekonig (NZL)
    Tayla Mason and Centennial (NZL)
    Caroline Powell and CBI Aldo (NZL)
    Caroline Powell and High Time (NZL)
    Tim Price and Jarillo (NZL)
    Ginny Thomasen and Capitaine de Hus Z (NZL)

  • POLAND

    • Wiktoria Knap and Quintus 134 (POL)

  • SWEDEN

    • Frida Andersen and Box Leo (SWE)
    Malin Asai and Golden Midnight (SWE)

  • UNITED STATES

    • William Coleman and Off The Record (USA)
    Boyd Martin and Fedarman B (USA)
    Boyd Martin and Miss Lulu Herself (USA)

    ***

    Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo (GER)

    Germany’s Nicolai Aldinger returns to Pau for a second time after finishing 13th here in 2019 with Newell. This time, he’s brought his experienced campaigner Timmo, for his third start at the 5* level. Timmo, who is 14 this year, notched his first 5* completion at Luhmühlen in June of this year, where an annoying 20 on cross country marred an otherwise competitive weekend that saw him lay down a 30.9 in the first phase. He’ll be back with more experience and maturity for this effort, coming off a podium finish in the 4*-S at Strzegom in Poland as his final FEI prep for this weekend. This pair is capable of a high-20s dressage score, and even if they score closer to their average in the low- or mid-30s, Nicolai’s goal will be to finish as close to that mark as possible – and at any 5* competition, it would be silly to place a ton of merit on dressage scores alone. This pair’s record has been marked by a few show jumping rails and, interestingly, a fair bit of time penalties on the final day, but strong jumping performances this weekend will place Nicolai and Timmo in good standing come awards time.

    [RETURN TO TOP]

    Frida Andersen and Box Leo (SWE)

    Fresh off the back of her second Olympic appearance in Paris this Summer, former Pony and Young Rider team rider Frida brings forward Box Leo, her partner in Paris, to both of their first 5*. 12th in Paris, this pair were also part of the Swedish World Championship team in Pratoni in 2022 too, finishing best of the team in 17th place with just a rail and time faults to add to their dressage score. They were also called up for the Europeans in Haras du Pin last year, again finishing within the top 20.

    Competed up to 4* level with Ludwig Svennerstal, Frida took the reins on Box Leo in 2021, and alongside their Championship appearances, the pair have finished in the top 25 in all of their FEI starts together, including an eighth place at CHIO Aachen last year. Frida, who has degrees in both Dental Hygiene and Sport and Business, spent two years in Germany training with Frank and Sara Algotsson Otsholt before returning home to Sweden. She is now trained by her mother Annki Andersen-Gerdin, and in 2019, she moved to Boxholm to work alongside the breeder, Therese Orup, who bred Box Leo. “I like to compete and love to win, I’m a really competitive person,” she says of herself, and so she will be leaving the start box on a mission to succeed in this, her first 5*.

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    Malin Asai and Golden Midnight (SWE)

    Swedish World Championships rider Malin Asai brings forward Golden Midnight, the horse she was named as Traveling Reserve for Paris with, this weekend for a third attempt at the 5* level. This pair was 22nd in a strong debut at Badminton back in 2019, after which they focused more heavily on championship competition. Now that the Olympics are in the rearview, Malin turns her attention back to 5* competition, where she’ll look to improve on her Badminton finishing score of 57.2 She jumped around clear with time and also delivered a double clear show jumping there, and in the intervening years she has managed to get the dressage marks down a bit. Pau provides an opening for Malin to really put the experience she and Golden Midnight have gained over the past few seasons of championship prep and competition, and a finish on a score in the 30s or 40s would be a strong one for this seasoned pair.

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    James Avery and MBF Connection (NZL) | Groom: Tori Morris

    James describes MBF Connection — or “Louis,” as he is known at home — as “a laidback character, who is passionate about good food and wine.” Fitting then, that he made his 5* debut here in Pau last year, and finished within the top 10 to boot. Since then, his form has continued, with three top 25 finishes in as many starts at 4*, including the highly competitive Luhmuhlen earlier this Spring.

    Previously campaigned by Matthew Heath and then Harry Horgan, James — who is based with his fiancée Holly Woodhead at Honington Grange Wellness and Rehabilitation Centre in Lincolnshire – took the ride on Louis in 2021, recording a win on their very first outing together. James will no doubt be seeking to improve on last year’s result this week, and cementing his place as a rising star within Team New Zealand’s ever-growing arsenal.

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    Sara Bech Strøm and Dicte Aldrup (DEN)

    A fall midway around cross country at Luhmühlen ended Danish rider Sara Bech Strøm’s 5* debut with the 14-year-old Danish Warmblood mare Dicte Aldrup, and now she’s back to fight another day at Pau this weekend.Sara Bech is an experienced rider in high-pressure scenarios, representing Denmark thrice in Junior European Championships (all with this special mare), and this pair has shown consistent form throughout their FEI career as they continue to hone the details that equal success at the highest levels. They have certainly encountered their share of growing pains as they gain further experience at the Advanced and 4* level, and their dressage scores have kept them from being more competitive, but they’ve done a load of preparatory events to get ready to step up, having begun their 4* track back in 2019. A fun fact about this partnership is that this has been Sara Bech’s only FEI eventing horse, and this mare has done all of her competitions with the same rider. Sara Bech has also benefited from the tutelage of William Fox-Pitt, with whom she has been based to further her eventing and horsemanship education.

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    Arne Bergendahl and Luthien NRW (GER)

    This weekend marks a sophomore 5* effort for both Luthien NRW and her rider, Arne Bergendahl, who finished 14th overall in their debut at Luhmühlen in 2023. After a later start to their 2024 season, this pair has aimed at Pau for their next 5*, collecting two 4*-S podium finishes, one at Maarsbergen in the Netherlands and one at Strzegom last month, along the way. This is another pair who lean a little more on their jumping ability, not quite able to catch the top scores yet in the first phase with their high-30s average. But jumping is their jam, and they’ve got a fairly clear FEI cross country and jumping record. They’re also quick, picking up just two seconds of time at Luhmühlen, and if they can replicate this performance and deliver a double clear on show jumping, it’ll be a strong finish for this pair.

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    Laura Birley and Bob Cotton Bandit (GBR) | Groom: Jan Birley

    Laura Birley and Bob Cotton Bandit, her partner of nine-and-a-half years, made their 5* debut at Luhmuhlen earlier this year, and in doing so surpassed all expectations — even those of Laura and her connections. “Bandit”, who has no recorded breeding, was not bought as an event horse, and certainly not one destined for the top level of the sport — instead, his intended career path was as a riding club horse for Laura’s mum, Jan, who will be grooming for the pair out in Germany. However, when he proved a little over enthusiastic at his first few competitive outings, Laura took on the ride to produce up the levels and eventually sell.

    Bandit never stopped rising to the challenge, however, continuing to prove his worth at every level. Unfortunately, Laura made the decision to withdraw Bandit before the show jumping in Luhmuhlen, so here’s hoping they have a better run at the level on this occasion. Their form has certainly not suffered since then, with a top 25 in the 4*S at Blair and top ten at the same level in Ballindenisk; now just to finish their season on a high with a successful completion at the top level of the sport. Not bad for a riding club horse!

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    Imo Brook and San Solo (GBR) | Groom: Emma Brook

    One of the best thing about 5*’s, is their tendency to highlight the many origin stories of the lesser known faces on the entry list, some of which are of the fairytale variety. Such is the case with Imo Brook, and her rider here San Solo, who she moved through the levels together, and make both of their 5* debut here in Pau this week. Bought for Imo as an eight year old, when she was just 17, “Solo” has been the horse of a lifetime for this talented young rider thus far. Together they have done everything from under-18 championships to Young Rider trials, and Imo was the youngest rider to complete at Blenheim in the 4*L in 2022 with Solo. Despite being bred as a dressage horse, Solo has taken to eventing like a duck to water- “he loves to gallop and jump,” says Imo, and indeed, his lack of blood doesn’t slow him down all that much! Imo, who broke her pelvis in a particularly nasty fall at Bramham last year, rides out for Alan King and Simon Earle, as well as driving for Weyhill Horse Transport, giving new meaning to the word multi-tasker!

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    Daragh Byrne and Kilcannon Ramiro (IRL) | Groom: Aaron Smullen

    Daragh’s dad, James Byrne, bought ‘Kilcannon’ as an unbroken three-year-old from the Goresbridge sales and the gelding promptly became his pride and joy and, as Daragh acknowledges, his “equine child”. James has never missed a competition and even groomed for the sweet gelding at Pau last year. This guy is pretty enormous, so he’s been brought up through the levels slowly to give him time as he matured, generally stepping up a level each year. This will be his third CCI5* start and Daragh will have all his fingers and toes crossed that it’ll be a first completion.

    An unfortunate rider fall at Pau last year saw his debut at the level end early, then two unlucky drive-bys at Badminton had Daragh putting up his hand and walking home. But both runs are experience in the bank and, overall, his cross country jumping record is impressively clean. The first phase is still a work in progress and it’s likely we’ll see a high-30s score for them, and it would be fair to say the show jumping is similar, although he has shown a marked improvement this season and has kept it to just the one pole down. But that’s all relative, what we’re looking for here is the finish flags on cross country day which have thus far eluded this pair, and the celebrations from Daragh – and his dad – should everything align this time around will be suitably joyous, for sure.

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    Rosalind Canter and Izilot DHI (GBR)

    Last year’s Pau champion could well have been in the running to be Ros Canter’s Paris horse, though the selectors in the end gave the nod to the slightly more experienced Lordships Graffalo for this Olympics. “Isaac” is certainly an Olympic-caliber horse, though, and he’s proven this time and time again with strong performances at the 4* and 5* level. He has had the issue or two at the beefy British 5* events, with Ros opting to retire after early trouble at both Badminton and Burghley this year with the notoriously quirky and spooky Dutch gelding, but when he’s on, he’s on and more than capable of delivering a winning performance across all three phases. This horse has been far from straightforward as Ros has produced him, and she even admitted that winning Pau last year was not even remotely in her plan – instead she had hoped to give her horse a positive experience at the 5* level and perhaps come away with one less spook on the weekend. They’re coming in hot off a win in the Little Downham 4*-S to prepare for this, and there’s no reason to believe that a repeat win isn’t in the cards for Ros and Isaac – except perhaps this year she’ll be aiming for the win!

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    Rosalind Canter and MHS Seventeen (GBR)

    Ros Canter also has a second ride this weekend in the debutant MHS Seventeen, a slightly newer ride for her as she took the reins over late in 2022 from Nicola Wilson. MHS Seventeen was fourth in the tough 4*-L at Bramham this summer, building on his podium finish at Boekelo last October to cap off his first season at the level. He now comes into this Pau primed and ready off a fourth place finish in the 4*-S at Little Downham. He’s also proven he can catch the time on a longer course and can also still leave all the jump poles up on Sunday. Could this be another debut win for Ros, who by now should be running out of space on her shelf for 5* trophies? Time will tell, but we can tell you Ros is a rider to very alertly keep your eyes on this weekend with her two exceptionally strong rides.

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    Ian Cassells and Millridge Atlantis (IRL)

    Irish rider Ian Cassells brings forward a 5* debutant in the 10-year-old Irish gelding, Millridge Atlantis, coming in hot off a 4*-S win at Ballindenisk last month to tick off the final preparatory box en route to Pau. This is a super exciting horse for Ian who’s flourished in high-pressure environments, collecting a top-12 finish at CHIO Aachen and in the 4*-L at Saumur this summer to put a cherry on top of two solid seasons at this level. This debut stands to be a competitive one if this pair can replicate previous performances, dipping as low as the mid-20s in the dressage and well capable of going fast and clear across the country. They do have a smattering of rails lowered on the final day, including two down after running a Long cross country, but they do have the ability to jump a clear round. If the raucous atmosphere at Pau doesn’t disarm them too much, they could notch a top-10 finish here this weekend.

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    Samantha Cesnik and Graftango (AUS) | Groom: Ava Fisher

    Back in her native Australia, Samantha and her partner Chris Height run a training and rehabilitation centre in Victoria; Spring Creek Equine. But now they have embarked an entirely different adventure on the other side of the world, along with Graftango with whom Sam has dominated the upper levels of the sport in Australia. “Adelaide” – so called because she was born on the weekend of Adelaide 5* – has rarely been out of the top 10 at 4* this season, although this will be her first 5* start. Samantha does not have particularly lofty expectations for this week, given that Adelaide only touched down on European soil last week. After such a quick turnaround, and given that it is also her first run at the level, Sam’s main aim is “to complete with a sound horse,” before setting her sights on future challenges.

    Now that they are here in the Northern hemisphere, the long term goal is a certain big B next Spring, so Pau is more of a learning experience for these two. While she is over here, Sam will spend some time on France, getting some winter training in with her dressage coach Brianna Burgess, before basing with Sam Griffths for the final Badminton trip. Whatever the outcome of their first 5* run, these two will be worth keeping an eye on, especially at their next 5* outing in 2025.

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    Kirsty Chabert and Classic VI (GBR) | Groom: Izzi Kirk

    Kirsty and ‘Betty’ are back at Pau for another go after finishing 6th last year, coming very, very close to a podium place but for two poles on the final day. This quirky mare proved her mettle at the level when she was runner up at Luhmühlen in 2022 where she finished on her dressage score of 31.1 on only her second time at CCI5*. In between those two excellent results, things haven’t been so straightforward; she followed up her success at Luhmühlen with 20 cross country penalties at Pau later in the season, with more of the same on both of her Kentucky attempts. When she’s in it to win it, she’s quick and clear, and has showed she can go sub-30 in the first phase at the level, but when it’s not her day, then it’s just, well, not. The same goes for the final day; she can absolutely leave the poles in the cups, or she can have two down, that’s just the kind of gal she is. But Kirsty’s got the measure of her longtime partner and manages the mare carefully at home to keep her happy, forgoing the school for the forest and spending time out on the trails as that’s what Betty likes best. It would be very cool to see this pair up there once all’s said and done — the talent is unquestionable — but it’ll be heart-in-the-mouth stuff until the final fence and she’ll keep us guessing right to the end.

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    Kirsty Chabert and Opposition Heraldik Girl (GBR) | Groom: Izzi Kirk

    ‘Rocket’ may be small at just 15.2hh and relatively lightly run, but she’s already proved herself at the CCI5* level with a 6th place finish at Luhmühlen this season, where she added just a very small handful of cross country time penalties to her score across the entire competition, not bad for a first completion at the level. She’s back at Pau after making her 5* debut there last year where a fall at the first water ended her competition early, so fingers crossed they put that to bed this time around and fly through the finish flags on Saturday. Their second top level start was at Badminton this spring but the mare didn’t take up her spot in the start box after being withdrawn following the dressage phase. There’s no denying that this homebred is an exciting prospect for Kirsty, with improving first phase scores, plenty of quick cross country clears on her record and an enviable reliability for a classy clear round in the show jumping ring. Kirsty’ll be channeling her Luhmühlen luck this week at Pau and hoping to add another solid 5* result to this clearly up-and-coming mare’s record.

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    Luc Chateau and Cocorico de l’Ebat (FRA)

    Frenchman Luc Chateau brings forward the third horse he has debuted at the 5* level throughout his career in the 12-year-old French gelding Cocorico de l’Ebat. This pair has competed nearly exclusively in France in preparation for this move up, most recently finishing fourth in the 3*-L at Lignières about a month ago. This is a pair that has a flawless cross country record in FEI competition, and they’re also capable of making the time at Long format events. This pair is unlikely to lay down a leading score in the dressage, but don’t quite count them out to be ranked low going into cross country, as they are capable of delivering a sub-30 score. It’s quite fitting for a French duo that has primarily stayed in France to debut in their home country at the top level, and this could be a pair that makes some major moves up in the standings after cross country. If they can deliver a clear show jumping to boot – and that’s something they haven’t quite always done – they could be in the victory gallop come Sunday afternoon.

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    Luc Chateau and Viens du Mont (FRA) | Groom: Caroline Quéval

    Luc’s rerouting Viens du Mont after early drama out on the Burghley cross country course last month when his stirrup broke after a run out at fence 5 meant he had no choice but to walk home. The gelding made an impressive CCI5* debut on home soil at Pau in 2022, jumping clear inside the time and adding just a single show jump to his dressage of 39.8 to finish in 9th place, following up with a trip to Badminton in 2023 where he proved he could handle just about any going and finished just outside the top-10. This season things have been a little less straightforward with a late 20 at Badminton in the spring and that early mistake at Burghley, so Luc’ll be hoping to get firmly back on track as he takes on his home 5* this week.

    We’ll likely see a first phase score which is edging into the 40s but this is the kind of horse that’s, ordinarily, in this game for the cross country. Prior to last season he hadn’t had a jumping penalty in almost 20 international runs and had added time on just five occasions. Since then though, he’s had penalties in both his 5* starts this season and retired at Burghley last year after picking up 60 penalties out on course. The final phase can prove a bit tricky and we can expect at least one pole to fall, perhaps two. Will he be back on form this week? Let’s hope so, because this really is a horse who relishes the job on his day.

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    William Coleman and Off The Record (USA) | Groom: Hailey Burlock

    Will Coleman is coming off a podium finish in the 3*-L at Maryland with one of his rising stars and now turns his attention to his original Olympic horse, Off the Record. This will be Will’s first trip to Pau, and he opted to tackle this new event rather than Maryland as he thought the course might suit “Timmy” quite well. This could be a shrewd prediction, as this pair did succeed in grand fashion on a somewhat similarly-twisted cross country track at CHIO Aachen in 2021, when they took the first-ever individual title for the U.S. This is a highly experienced pair that could well have pushed the U.S. into medal contention in Paris, contributing to their silver medal finish at World Championships in Pratoni in 2022, had it not been for an ill-timed withdrawal at the midnight hour in Paris.

    Dressage hasn’t historically been Off the Record’s strongest suit, but I say that as he has delivered sub-30 marks plenty of times throughout his career and has also demonstrated that he’s anything but a one-trick pony with consistent performances across the influential jumping phases. Will also benefits from the assistance of the likes of Ian Woodhead on the flat, and he’s a well-versed and quiet dressage rider in his own right. A finish on whatever dressage score he earns could see Will attain a podium finish here this weekend for the Americans.

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    Wouter de Cleene and Quintera (BEL)

    Belgium’s Wouter de Cleene comes forward for a CCI5* debut this week with the 12-year-old Hanoverian mare Quintera, having prepared using CCI4*-S events in the months leading up to Pau. This bay mare has been with Wouter throughout her entire FEI eventing career, and though they’ve had a few niggling issues here and there as they prepared for this debut, they have come in well-prepared in higher pressure scenarios. They’ve competed in FEI Nations Cup competitions together, most recently at Lignières in France, where the finished eighth individually. It’s always interesting to read a horse’s record and see what the rider has planned, on paper at least, and Wouter is another who historically takes more time on Short-format events, pushing harder for the time at Long formats. This is a trend we see among many top-ranked riders that seems to pay off well in terms of performance at higher-caliber events, and we’ll be interested to see how this manifests in the performance of Wouter and Quintera in their first go at a 5*.

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    Arthur Duffort and Toronto d’Aurois (FRA) | Groom: Léonore Gignoux

    Seasoned CCI5* campaigner Toronto d’Aurois comes to Pau after a top-20 finish at Luhmühlen earlier this year. Produced in France up to 2* by part-owner and Arthur’s friend Paul Gatien, this quirky gelding was originally destined to be sold on, however, he was so difficult that no buyer was found and he ended up staying and progressing through the levels with Arthur in a career that’s spanned a decade and taken in eight 5* starts. He’s a bit of a shy guy who’s easily spooked — his groom, Léo Gignoux, says she would turn off the giant screen in the dressage arena for his test if she could — which often shows up in first phase scores hitting the high-30s, but point him out of the start box on cross country day and he really comes into his own. Aside from a blip at Burghley last season, you have to go back to 2019 to find a cross country penalty on his record. There’s likely to be some time added on Saturday and penalties to come on the final day, he rolled three poles at Luhmühlen, but Arthur will surely be looking forward to another 5* spin on French soil with his longtime partner before Toronto’s turned away for the winter to live like a wild horse, only tolerating a blanket change if Léo bribes him with treats. He sure sounds like a smart cookie!

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    Isabel English and Cil Dara Dallas (AUS)

    Aussie rider Isabel English returns to Pau for the first time since 2020, this time bringing forward an up-and-comer in the 9-year-old Cil Dara Dallas. This pair enjoyed a top-20 finish in the 8- and 9-year-old CCI4*-L at Blenheim this summer and they also have a top-5 CCI4*-L finish under their belts in finishing fourth at Marbach (Germany) earlier this year. This is a horse Isabel’s tapped as her next “big thing” since his young horse years, finishing fourth with him in the 6-year-old World Championship at Le Lion in 2021 and steadily targeting age divisions in the years since. They’re still honing their dressage, averaging a starting score in the mid-30s that won’t quite be a threat on the first phase, but they are fairly reliable in the jumping phases. A pesky jumping penalty or a pole down in show jumping has kept them from making more major moves up in the standings, but on their day they can lay down a fast clear on both jumping days. Isabel will have selected this first 5* carefully for her horse for the future, and with 2026’s World Championships and, further down the road the 2028 Olympics looming large, she should have a great prospect for a senior team if she can lay down some solid 5* performances starting this weekend.

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    Pippa Funnell and MCS Maverick (GBR)

    After making an epic save of all saves on cross country at Burghley with MCS Maverick, Pippa Funnell later opted to retire after encountering trouble later on course. Now, she changes tacks and opts to try again at Pau with this 11-year-old British gelding who was 11th here at Pau in 2023. Pippa actually took the reins on “Mav” from her stable rider, Helen Wilson, after she sustained an injury and needed to keep the notoriously spicy gelding going. Pippa’s always disarmingly humble about her accomplishments (you’d think the woman didn’t win the Rolex Grand Slam by talking to her), and even she hesitated to take the ride over on this horse, who’s far from a straightforward ride for even the best of riders. But persist she did, and she’s been rewarded with a horse that’s proven to be very capable of handling 5* tracks and finish well on these important weekends. Burghley aside, Mav has yet to pick up any other cross country penalties in FEI competition with Pippa in the irons, and he’ll have learned much from making it three quarters of the way around the toughest 5* in the world at Burghley. On their strongest days, this pair can deliver a mid- or high-20s score, and are also capable of jumping clear on Sunday. If they can put their Burghley ghost behind them, this weekend could be a sweet one for Pippa and MCS Maverick.

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    Dominic Furnell and Bellscross Guy (IRL)

    Coming off of their 7th place finish at the 4*S at Ballindenisk, Dominic Furnell will be piloting Bellscross Guy around the gelding’s 5* debut at Pau. While they won’t be expected to win the dressage, with typical scores in the low 40s, they have a solid cross country record, and tend to jump well on the final day, although a rail or two can’t be ruled out. Furnell jumped around his first Pau back in 2016 (finishing 32nd) with Ballycahane Flower Power at his first attempt at the level at only 24 years old.

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    Dominic Furnell and Ivanhoe (IRL)

    We’ll also see Dominic Furnell navigating Pau with Irish Sport Horse stallion Ivanhoe. While this will be Ivanhoe’s first attempt at the level, the duo have gained significant experience at the 4* level, with five top 20 finishes, with two top ten finishes – a 7th in the 4*L at Mallow and a 9th in the 4*L at Ballindenisk. This partnership usually delivers a mid to upper 30 dressage score, have an impressively clean cross country record, but do typically pick up a few rails on the last day. This pair will be one to watch at their first attempt together!

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    Florian Ganneval and Erebor de Fleyres (FRA)

    After competing at Pau three times with his first CCI5* horse, Blue Bird de Beaufour, Florian Ganneval now returns with a rookie horse in the 10-year-old Selle Francais gelding Erebor de Fleyres. Regally bred with Con Air 7 as the sire and Jaguar Mail as the damsire, this gelding quickly showed his prowess for the sport with strong cross country performances at the 3* level. Since moving up to 4* last year, he’s had a few growing pains and spats of trouble, but he did deliver a clear on cross country and show jumping in the 4*-L at Kronenberg to cap off his spring season this year. Like Luc Chateau and Cocorico de l’Ebat, Florian also used the 3*-L at Lignières at the end of September to open the pipes for this 5* debut. This pair won’t grab a flashing dressage score, and show jumping has a bit been their nemesis on the final day, a strong showing in the jumping phases will set them up well for future success at the level.

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    Caroline Harris and D. Day (GBR)

    Caroline and D-Day made the 5* debut earlier this year, at Luhmuhlen. They finished 12th on that occasion, adding naught but cross country time penalties to their first phase score of 34.9, a result that Caroline will be hoping to equal if not better on this occasion.

    Consistent from the early days of his career, D. Day has a very impressive international record, marred by just a smattering of jumping penalties here and there. Their dressage scores tend to hover around the low-30’s to high-20’s — they won the CCI4*-S in Lignieres last month on a 26.8.

    Fiona Oliver bred the Billy Mexico gelding as a potential hunt horse for her son’s girlfriend, though when that pairing came to an end, she sent him to Caroline to produce — a happy ending for Caroline, at least! “He has a heart of gold, and tries so hard for me,” she says of the 10-year-old D. Day, though there is no doubt that Caroline’s own talent also plays a big part in their success thus far throughout their career. Fingers crossed that their second run at 5* proves as successful as their first!

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    Ben Hobday and Shadow Man (GBR) | Groom: Daisy Buckley

    Fresh off the back of his Silver medal winning performance in Paris this Summer, “Fidgy” has been reunited with his original rider, Ben Hobday, who initially produced him through the levels. Prior to this season, Ben had been contesting pure show jumping shows with the chestnut gelding, competing successfully over CSI2* and CSI3* tracks.

    It was with Ben that Fidgy made his 5* debut at Badminton back in 2022, though they did not complete, parting company three-quarters of the way around cross country. However, they were second in the Nations Cup in Strzegom in 2019, and fifth in the 4*-S at Bramham that same year, proving that Fidgy has bravery in spades, as well as scope. Chris Burton, who piloted him to that podium place in Paris enjoyed several steady runs with Fidgy, taking the win in the 4*S at Millstreet ahead of their Olympic appearance. The 14 year old has continued to show impeccable form since being reunited with Ben, with a top 10 finish in the 4*S at Lignieres last month. Hopefully that will have set them up well for their return to 5*, and it would not be altogether too surprising to see them finish within the top 10 this week, such is the talent of both horse and rider.

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    Alex Hua Tian and Chicko (CHN)

    Paris Olympian Alex Hua Tian isn’t actually a rider we see too often at the 5* level, though he’s become something of an Olympian stalwart for his home country of China. This will mark Alex’s first appearance at Pau and first 5* start since 2016 (Badminton), bringing forward the former Polly Stockton ride Chicko for his debut at the level. After acquiring the ride for owners Kate and Peter Willis, Alex secured a podium finish in the Chatsworth CCI4*-S in the spring of 2023, following that up with a strong finish at Millstreet, which was China’s final Olympic team qualifier. Unfortunately, Chicko would later be eliminated after a drug test revealed the presence of the controlled substance altrenogest, better known under its UK trade name, Regumate, and the domino effect of the case would be that China would lose its team spot in Paris.

    That blip on the radar aside (and you can read more on the context of the case here) this has proven to be a serious horse for Alex, collecting a top-10 finish at Blenheim in the summer of 2023 and going on to win the 4*-S at Ballindenisk in Ireland this spring. Alex is well-respected for his prowess on the flat, and while he’s still chipping away with this horse, it’s not hard to see him finishing on or close to a low-30s mark at Pau this weekend. Should he do that, he’ll be well within a spot at a top 10 or better finish.

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    Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ (GBR)

    Reigning World Champion Yasmin Ingham travels to France this weekend with her two-time Luhmühlen podium finisher, Rehy DJ, or “Piglet” as he’s affectionately known in the barn. Rehy DJ did start Pau in 2020 as his 5* debut, but was withdrawn at the second jog on Sunday after encountering some rookie errors on cross country that weekend. He’s come back stronger than ever, though, notching strong season results at 4* and finding consistent result at the German 5*. He was fourth in the 4*-S at Little Downham last month in preparation for this event, and if Yas can get his dressage back down to the mid-20s he’s shown in the past (he’s gone as low as 27.5 at this level and has turned in two sub-30 marks at the 5* level), this could be yet another podium finish for this stablemate to Yas’ World Championships and Olympic reserve horse, Banzai du Loir.

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    Tom Jackson and Plot Twist B (GBR)

    Tom Jackson brings forward the 9-year-old Plot Twist B for his 5* debut this weekend at Pau, getting down to business in this horses’ first full season at the 4*+ level and riding the high of a top-10 finish in the 4*-L at Bramham earlier this year. This weekend stands to be an educational one for this pair, though they absolutely can be competitive here if they can finish close to their average mid-30s dressage marks. Tom’s a very experienced 5* jockey and has been successful at Pau in the past, finishing as high as seventh in 2021 with Billy Cuckoo and finishing two horses in the top 20 back in 2018. Plot Twist B stands to become the latest edition to Tom’s 5* string, ready to tackle even bigger challenges next year with a strong performance this weekend.

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    Clarke Johnstone and Menlo Park (NZL) | Groom: Marcus Beanie

    Originally produced by Kevin McNab, Menlo Park –“Jacko” was also briefly ridden by Oliver Townend, before being sold to Australia, where Tim Boland competed him for a season, though rider injury ultimately led to Clarke buying him. Together a relatively short time, theirs is already a strong partnership, finishing in the top 15 in all but one of their international starts. Part of the New Zealand team in Paris this Summer, where they finished in the top 20, Clarke and Jacko were also part of the Bronze medal winning team at the World Championships in Pratoni.

    Clarke, who has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Otago, was also part of the Bronze medal winning team at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, and he and Menlo Park finished 15th at CHIO Aachen last year, adding just a rail and cross country time faults to their dressage score. That is typical of this combination; they have only ever had cross country jumping faults on one occasion since Clarke took over the ride, and you can count on one hand the number of rails they have had in that time, too. This will be Jacko’s first run at 5*, though his recent 4* form has proved he is more than ready to make the next step up. Second in his last run in the 4*S at Little Downham, where he added just a few time faults to his 28.5 dressage score, it would be of little surprise if Clarke and Jacko finished within the top 25 here, too.

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    Fiona Kashel and Creevagh Silver de Haar (GBR)

    Fional Cashel and Creevagh Silver de Haar certainly know each other like the back of hand and hoof at this point in their partnership, having done everything from the ground up together. This will be their sixth 5* start and their second trip to Pau, where they’ll look to build on the experience they’ve gained since 2022, when the finished 30th overall. They have picked up jumping penalties here and there at this level, including during their first trip down in 2022, but they’ve certainly got the skills and experience to put all the pieces together this weekend. They turned in a personal best 29 in the dressage at Lignières last month, and though Fiona went on to part ways with her horse of a lifetime on cross country that weekend, she will be working hard to replicate that score and finish as close to it as possible in France.

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    Robbie Kearns and Ballyvillane OBOS (IRL) | Groom: Maxine Rae

    This will be Robbie and Sparky’s second start at 5*, having made their debut earlier this year in Luhmuhlen. They finished up in 31st place on that occasion, encountering a few issues on the cross country to come home with 60 jumping penalties, so Robbie will be hoping to better that result this time around, no doubt. Theirs is a relatively new partnership; Robbie only took the ride on him last year, although owner Richard Ames has owned the now eleven year old gelding since he was a three-year-old. In the short time that Robbie and Sparky (or “Sparkly”, as Richard’s three-year-old granddaughter likes to call him) have been together, they have formed a solid and consistent partnership; those cross country faults in Luhmuhlen were the first they had had together, and indeed, the only cross country faults Sparky had ever had in the whole of his international career.

    They also have speed on their side, taking the win in the CCI3*-S in Ballindensisk last year after finishing on their dressage score. Having learnt valuable lessons in Luhmuhlen, they will hopefully put them to good use this week in Pau, and pull of an even better result on their second 5 * run.

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    Robbie Kearns and Chance Encounter (IRL)

    Robbie and “Harry” have been on fire this season, with two podium placings in as many outings – second last month at Ballindenisk and third in August in Lisgarven. They whipped round the 4*S in double quick time on both occasions to add nothing to their first phase score (31.2 and 31.9 respectively). They made the trip to Germany in June for the 4*S Luhmuhlen, and it is testament to just how competitive that class was, as the unofficial final pre-Olympic selection trial, that they finished just outside of the top 25, despite adding only a smidge of time and a single show jump to their first phase score. Head rider for Belline Equestrian in his native Ireland, Robbie has also spent time with Kevin McNab. This will be Harry’s first run at 5, though given his recent form, this could be a very good debut, and set them up well for a few more 5* runs next season!

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    Emily King and Valmy Biats (GBR)

    Emily King and Valmy Biats sadly fell victim to the notorious Trout Hatchery at Burghley last month, ending their bid for a competitive finish in an abbreviated manner when Emily opted to call it a day – always a respectable decision, especially when competitiveness goes out the window for an otherwise experience 5* horse. This weekend will be “Val’s” eighth start at the level, and he did find success here in France in 2022 when he and Emily finished inside the top 10 in just their second 5* together. This is a pair we could see in or close to the lead after dressage, routinely turning in mid-20s scores in the first phase. They’ve been knocking on the door of a podium 5* finish, having come fourth at Badminton earlier this spring, and should the work they’ve been putting in during the intervening months pay off, this could be a huge weekend for a pair that easily could have been a part of the British Olympic squad had it not been for the immense depth the country currently boasts.

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    Wiktoria Knap and Quintus 134 (POL)

    Polish rider Wiktoria Knap got her first taste of Olympic competition this summer in Paris, when she and Quintus 134 were called in as substitutes for show jumping day. She’ll have left Paris hungry for the next chance to improve on that performance with her longtime partner, Quintus 134, and one stop en route to her next senior team berth is this weekend at Pau, which marks both her and her horse’s 5* debut. This pair knows each other inside and out, as Wiktoria’s done all the production and competing with this horse since he begun his eventing career back in 2016. They’re coming off a win in the U25 4*-S at Strzegom earlier this year and were also fifth in the 4*-L at Baborowko in 2023. This pair is pretty consistent on the flat, generally scoring in the low 30s, and have delivered a large number of cross country clears. Show jumping will be their weakest phase, and the buzzy atmosphere of the arena at Pau could cause its fair share of issues for horses that aren’t already strong jumpers.

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    Jennifer Kuehnle and Sammy Davis Junior (IRL)

    Sammy Davis Junior started his eventing career with Jennifer’s other half Cathal Daniels, who campaigned him all the way up to 4*-L before Jenny managed to “rob him 3 years ago!” Already enjoying several success with Cathal, “Sammy” has since gone on to win an Irish Team Bronze medal at the Young Rider Championships with his new jockey; they were also fourth individually on that occasion, too. They jumped double clear around Boekelo last year and posted a PB in the first phase at Millstreet last month, although they unfortunately retired on the cross country. Still, that is something of a blip for Sammy — when he is not eventing he can be found jumping around 1.40m show jumping tracks . His dressage scores are ever-improving, sitting around the low-30s mark, so they should be well in touch heading into cross country.

    Jenny describes him as “the biggest fighter,” as well as the “monkey of the stable!” He proved the former on his 5* debut in Luhmuhlen earlier this year, where a double clear landed him a top 10 finish, just below his stable mate Polly Blue Eyes, another 5* debutant for young Irish talent, Jenny. She will no doubt be gunning for a repeat of that performance here in France, cementing her place as one to watch for the Irish team.

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    Camille Lejeune and Dame Decoeur Tardonne (FRA)

    Camille Lejeune makes his third 5* start and second at Pau with Dame Decoeur Tardonne, an 11-year-old French-bred mare who Camile has produced up from her young horse starts in the sport and coming forward for her second 5* try after finishing 13th here last year. This is another very reliable pair across the country who are ready to improve on their result last year. In 2023, Camille took his time on cross country in the horse’s debut at the level, and this year we can expect him to see if he can get closer to that elusive optimum time around Pierre Michelet’s winding cross country track. While he probably won’t grab a record-breaking score on the flat, if they can just marginally improve on their 2023 performance, a top-10 or better is not out of the question for Camille and Dame Decoeur Tardonne.

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    Samantha Lissington and Lord Seekonig (NZL)

    One of the rising stars of the Kiwi eventing scene, Samantha arrived in the UK with no real fixed accommodation, no car, no lorry… nothing. That did not stop her from making quite the name for herself at the top level of the sport, with a couple of 5* completions thus far – including eleventh place in Luhmuhlen with the first of her two rides here in Pau, Lord Seekonig – “Charlie,” or “King Charles” to those who know him best.

    Until 2022, Charlie was competed by Ireland’s Alex Power, who took him to the CCI3*-L level, but he and Sam finished in the top-20 on all of their outings in their first season together. “A lovely horse to ride on the flat,” the German-bred gelding never fails to impress in the first phase. They were lying eighth after dressage in the CCI4*-L at the Blenheim last year on a 28.7, and were it not for a missed flag on the cross country, they would have finished towards the top of the leaderboard after jumping clear on the final day. Don’t be surprised to see these two sitting pretty after day one, and if all goes according to plan cross country, a top ten finish to boot.

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    Cedric Lyard and Unum de’Or (FRA) | Groom: Elora Lyard & Eve Revillard

    It’s a seventh CCI5* start for this experienced combination, who’ve taken trips around Luhmühlen, Burghley, Badminton and Pau together previously, their best result coming at the French 5* in 2021 when they finished 9th after adding just a couple of time penalties to their dressage score of 31.6, not bad for a top level debut. Since then things have been a bit mixed; they secured a top-20 placing at Burghley in 2022 but then retired out on course at Pau last year after picking up 20 penalties, then a rider fall saw their Luhmühlen come to an abrupt end earlier this season. But aside from a couple of uncharacteristic blips, this gelding is in fact a very reliable prospect on cross country day and can be quick to boot. We’ll likely see them sitting in the mid-30s after the first phase and adding perhaps a handful of time on the Saturday. The final phase is the toughest to predict, with a whole bunch of clear rounds on their record, interspersed with a fair few eight penalties. Safe to say, Cedric will be looking for at least a solid finish for this 16-year-old, and at best a smart performance across the three phases and, potentially, another top-10 finish at his home 5*.

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    Katie Magee and Treworra (GBR)

    It’s a long-awaited 5* debut for British rider Katie Magee and Angela Hislop’s Treworra, a 10-year-old British gelding who is a product of the Preci Spark breeding program that keeps a slew of foundational mares for their breeding program and have yielded horses such as former Oliver Townend 5* ride Tregilder and current Lucienne Bellissimo partner Tremanton. Treworra is by Jaguar Mail out of the Preci mare Trewinnow, who has produced two horses including Treworra. Katie has ticked off her 5* prep by tackling some of the toughest events the UK has to offer, including Bramham, Blenheim, and Blair Castle, where she’s finished as high as eighth in 4*-S competition. Two solid seasons at the 4* level have prepared this pair well, and while they have some work to do on the flat, usually scoring mid-high 30s in the first phase, they are proven in the jumping phases and can deliver clear rounds across the country and over the show jumps.

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    Piggy March and Halo (GBR)

    We’ve been eagerly awaiting the 5* debut of Angela Hislop’s 11-year-old Holsteiner stallion Halo, the latest debutant for Britain’s Piggy March. Halo, who formerly competed under the name Scuderia 1918 Humphreys with Australian rider Kevin Mcnab, joined Piggy’s string at the end of 2021, with the intention that he would eventually begin covering mare’s in the March Stud breeding program run by Piggy’s husband, Tom. Halo has collected a handful of FEI wins with Piggy in the irons, including a win in the 4*-S at Aston-le-Walls earlier this year, and he’s been quite competitive across the country with her, demonstrating an ability to get close to the optimum time and also delivering some clear show jumping rounds. Piggy will be sensible about this being the first 5* for the gray stallion, but many a horse has won the 5* debut throughout history, and a competitive podium finish isn’t a far-fetched idea for this British pair.

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    Boyd Martin and Fedarman B (USA) | Groom: Steph Simpson

    Boyd Martin had a Maryland 5 Star he’d love to forget last weekend before boarding his flight to France alongside fellow Maryland competitors Tim Price and Oliver Townend, who will also compete at Pau this weekend. Boyd targeted this event for his Paris horse as one he knows he’s capable of winning. “Bruno” has been the picture of consistency throughout his tenure with Boyd, finishing eighth in both of his 5* starts to date, including at Pau last year. An annoying 11 penalties kept Boyd from finishing higher last year at this event, and he’ll be back (after several ice baths, most likely, having taken a couple of rough tumbles at Maryland last weekend) with a vengeance to finish higher this weekend.

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    Boyd Martin and Miss Lulu Herself (USA) | Groom: Steph Simpson

    Making an exciting 5* debut at Pau this weekend is Bonnie Stedt’s Miss Lulu Herself, who’s enjoyed two strong seasons at the Advanced and 4* level in preparation for this step up. Boyd has brought horses to Pau more than once to make their 5* debut, favoring the flatter terrain as an intiial test of a horse’s capabilities for this top level test. “Lulu” has proven she’s capable of tougher terrain, finishing on the podium in the hilly 4*-L at Bromont in Canada last year, and she should have a strong base of fitness built up for this test. Her dressage will keep her from threatening the initial leaders too much, but Boy’ds ever the competitor and will have a goal in mind to finish on that low or mid-30s dressage mark for a strong debut to build off of in 2025 and beyond.

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    Arthur Marx and Church’ile (FRA)

    A family affair, this sweet homebred’s dam and grand-dam were piloted by Arthur’s dad. He made his CCI5* debut at Pau in 2022, picking up a 20 out on cross country but finishing in a very respectable 23rd place. Since then, things haven’t exactly been smooth sailing, with three further top level starts but no completions. They had an unfortunate parting of company out on course at Badminton last year and then a broken stirrup at Pau last season saw their competition end early once more, despite the home crowd’s efforts to carry them home with the kind of gusto French eventing fans are famous for. Arthur jumped a fair few fences with one pedal, cantering past others and taking a lap of honor ‘round the arena to huge cheers. The ground jury determined enough was enough however, and he was pulled up to great disappointment from all who were enjoying the show.

    This year’s Badminton saw the pair accumulate three refusals and a walk home. However, the gelding will have gained valuable experience along the way and Arthur is sure to relish the home crowd once more as he takes on Pau for a third time. We’re looking at a first phase score in the high-30s and, although they can be quick out on cross country, things haven’t really gone to plan recently, so a clear jumping round will very much be Arthur’s focus. They do tend to have a pole or two on the final day and perhaps a smidge of time. Let’s hope that they get things firmly back on track this week and gain that elusive second 5* completion to build on next season.

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    Tayla Mason and Centennial (NZL) | Groom: Tilly Howard

    Tayla Mason made the long trip over to Blighty from her native New Zealand in 2018, to spend two years working for Team Price at their then base at Mere Farm. Six years later, she is still here, and has now set up her own yard, Mason Equestrian. When she made the trip over all those years ago, she brought a couple of horses with her too, one of which was the ginormous “Chase” who stands a magnificent 17.1hh. Bred by Tayla and her mum, Tayla describes this big lad as “an absolute gentleman, who loves his job.” They had their first trip round Pau back in 2021, where they picked up 20 on the cross country before lowering four poles on the final day. It was a completion none the less, and though the 13 year old New Zealand Warmblood missed last season, he has enjoyed several steady runs this season, culminating in a top 10 finish at Little Downham last month. With a first phase score hovering around the mid 30’s, these two should remain well in the mix heading into cross country, and hopefully three years of experience should see them come home clear, albeit it with a few time faults.

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    Benjamin Massie and Filao de Perle (FRA)

    French rider Benjamin Massie will debut the 9-year-old Filao de Perle, a Selle Francais gelding, at Pau this weekend, having intentionally and lightly campaigned him in FEI competition up to this point. Despite being comparatively light on international experience, with just 10 starts on his CV, Filao de Perle has been quite a strong horse for Ben, nearly always coming home clear across the country and demonstrating the ability to catch the optimum time when asked. This horse had had strong performances in his 4* starts, though show jumping has been a bit of his Achilles heel, with one pole down in each of his four starts at the level. Pau show jumps on a surface, which can often help horses that aren’t strong on grass or in deeper footing, and if you subtract the four penalties from this pair’s recent finishing scores, they’d be quite competitive in the final standings.

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    Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality (GBR) | Groom: Adam Short

    “Nervous Norris” made his 5* debut at Luhmuhlen in June, though Tom made the decision to save him for another mid way through the cross country – having survived a mini hurricane while out on course! They have put that firmly behind them though, winning the 3*S at Cornbury last month, and finishing on the podium again at Little Downham just a few weeks later. Described by wonder groom Adam Short as “super cute and super friendly, but also a little bit scared of life,” Norris has yet to let his phobia of, well, most things, hinder his competitive career. Piggy March initially produced the OBOS Quality gelding, and since Tom took the reins in 2022, he has continued to go from strength to strength, with a podium finish in the 4*S at Blair that year and 4th place in the 4*L in Blenheim the following year. Nor does there seem to be a weak phase for this horse; he scored 28.3 on his debut at the level in June, and his usual scores average in the mid to low 20’s, while he has had only 2 poles down in the last three seasons. Hopefully, this second start at 5* will prove their Luhmuhlen run to be naught but a blip, cementing Norris’ place as the next big thing to come from the McEwen stable!

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    Selina Milnes and Cooley Snapchat (GBR)

    Great Britain’s Selina Milnes was out of the tack for the start of the year due to a skiing accident, but the North Somerset-based eventer dove right back into action (after a friendly hand from Austin O’Connor who piloted a few of her horses at early season outings), and this weekend she’s got two entries in the massive five-star class. The first of which is first-timer Cooley Snapchat. If this is your first time hearing of the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse, then you’ll want to make sure you tune in for each and every one of their rides because this will certainly be a debutante that you’ll want to see. He’s consistently proved he’s made of the right stuff as he’s made his way up the ranks with Selina: He was third in the Eventing World Breeding Championships as a seven-year-old as well as fifth in the competitive Blenheim CCI4* for 8/9-year-old horses last season. A sub-20 dressage certainly isn’t out of the question, and he will lean into Selina’s experience as he tackles his biggest cross country challenge to date. Selina says riding this horse on the final day “fills you with so much confidence and definitely eases the pressure,” and this pair could very well deliver a double clear round that will put them in striking distance of a top finish.

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    Joseph Murphy and Belline Fighting Spirit (IRL)

    The very experienced Joseph Murphy, with both Olympic and World Championship experience to his name, has brought a debut horse in the 9-year-old Anglo European gelding Belline Fighting Spirit this weekend. Belline Fighting Spirit has done nearly all his FEI competitions with Joseph in the irons, finishing as strong as seventh overall in 4*-L competition (Mallow – 2023), and he’s got jumping talent in spades to take forward to this first 5* experience. We won’t quite see this pair making any threats to the dressage leaders, and they are capable of a green issue on cross country and/or a rail or two down on Sunday, but what better weekend for all of the pieces to come together? They’re well-prepared for the challenge at hand, and Joseph will lean on his extensive experience both producing a horse for this intention as well as navigating tough 5* tracks to give this young rising star a positive debut to build off of.

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    Aimee Penny and PSH Encore (GBR) | Groom: Julie Penny

    In as much as her travel buddy “Diva” may be sassy and bold, PSH Encore is “timid and scared of crowds.” Until cross country day that is, when there is just one thing on her mind. The path to 5* has not been straightforward for Bumble, making Aimee all the more grateful that she is finally ready to make her debut. The twelve year old mare finished in the top 25 in the 4*L at Blenheim last month, and has enjoyed safe and successful completions in the 4*S at both Burgham and Bramham this season too. Their first phase score tends more to the higher end of the 30’s, though that will be of little consequence come cross country day. She may not be the fastest horse, but Aimee’s main aim in France this week is to have fun with both of her horses, and hopefully set them up for a few more 5* starts in future!

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    Aimee Penny and PSH Gazelle (GBR) | Groom: Julie Penny

    One of the two 5* debutants that Aimee Penny is bringing forward this week in Pau, sixteen year old “Diva” has finished in the top 25 on all of her international starts this season, proving that she is more than ready to make the step up to the next level. Bred by Power Sports Horses – like her stable mate PSH Encore – Diva is described by Aimee, for whom this will also be a first 5* – as “sassy and confident,” which should stand her in good stead for the week ahead. Top 20 at Blair in August, Diva also enjoyed a successful trip around Bramham this year too, adding just cross country time faults to their dressage score. Proof of her bravery across country, Diva is also an impeccable show jumper, often leaving all of the poles in situ on the final day. With a dressage score averaging mid 30’s, these two could be amongst the highest climbers come cross coutry day, though Aimee’s main priority is to bring Diva and her second ride, “Bumble” home safe and sound.

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    Jack Pinkney and Rehy Revelation (GBR) | Groom: Lea Pinkney

    10 year old “Alex” came to Jack Pinkey’s yard as a tricky five-year-old, with a particular penchant for napping. Even know, Jack describes him as a “strong character, who thinks he knows best,” so it is testament to Jack’s patience in producing his horses that he is now on the cusp of his first 5*. By the show jumping stallion Ars Vivendi, it is of no surprise that the cross country phase is Alex’s strong suit, and he rarely lowers more than a pole in the show jumping too. This cheeky chap is a particular favourite of Jack’s wife, Lea, who will be grooming for these two this week in Pau: “she adores him and has done since the first time she saw him!” says Alex. The main aim for this week? To gain valuable experience and do the best they can, a solid mindset with which to head into your first 5*!

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    Caroline Powell and CBI Aldo (NZL) | Groom: Tristan Hudson

    CBI Aldo made his 5* debut at Badminton this Spring, but Caroline opted to pull him up on the cross country, saving him for another day rather than over facing him. They encountered problems on the cross country again in Aachen, coming home with 60 jumping penalties, although their top 10 finish in the 8/9 year old 4*S at Blenheim last month would suggest that they have since ironed out any issues. Bought from the Monart Sale in Ireland back in 2018, 9 year old ‘Aldo’ was 8th in the 6 year old Young Horse Championships at Le Lions d’Angers back in 2021, and has maintained similarly impressive form as he has progressed in his career. With a first phase score that averages towards the lower end of the thirties, Aldo could be set to redeem himself here in Pau, hopefully leaving the blip at Badminton behind him, ready for another crack next year!

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    Caroline Powell and High Time (NZL) | Groom: Tristan Hudson

    Not content with two 5* horses, this year’s Badminton champion brings forward yet another this week, with 12 year old High Time. This is a fairly new partnership; Caroline only took the ride on “Henry” last year, with Daniel Scott and Steven Renton both having campaigned him before then. Together, they have notched up an impressive roster of results, including a top 10 in the 4*L at Millstreet earlier this season, as well as podium place in the 4*L at Blair Castle back in August. An impressive showjumper – he rarely lowers more than a pole – Henry has yet to break into the 20’s in the first phase, instead averaging around the mid-30’s. A safe, confidence giving trip around the French countryside will no doubt be the aim of the game here, setting Henry up for the 5* challenges that lie ahead next season.

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    Tim Price and Jarillo (NZL) | Groom: Kerryn Edmans

    Are you even an eventing fan if you don’t follow @jarillo_not_so_official on Instagram?! Yep, that’s right, the beautifully marked “Milo” has his very own Insta account, and though posts may be few and far between, he’s pretty good at providing behind the scenes action from the top events via his stories. 3rd in last year’s 8/9 year old 4*S, Milo is rapidly earning a name for himself as the next big thing to emerge from the Price stable, as demonstrated by his win in the 4*S at Thoresby at the beginning of this season. He had a minor hiccup with 20 cross country penalties in Aachen in July, though those was his first cross country penalties in two years. He has had but one pole down in the show jumping all season, and his dressage scores are in the mid 20’s more often than not these days. Fresh off the back of his podium finish in Maryland, it is unlikely that Tim will be gunning for a top placing this week, too, with this being Milo’s first run at the level. Still, anything is possible with the former world number one, and though he may not take the win, a competitive finish would not be without the realms of possibility, such is Milo’s natural aptitude for the sport, and Tim’s unrivalled talent for producing young horses.

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    Kylie Roddy and SRS Kan Do (GBR) | Groom: Helen Shaw & Gemma Plastow

    This will be a sixth CCI5* start for ‘George’ and third Pau, which has proved to be a happy hunting ground for this partnership in the past. The gelding made his 5* debut on French soil in 2021 and impressed with a finish just outside the top-10, returning last season for fifth place, adding just a handful of time to his dressage score on both occasions. Add to that the fact that this combination have also been sixth at Luhmühlen and we start to get a picture of a pretty smart 5* pairing. Sure, this year’s Badminton wasn’t what Kylie would have hoped, with her being pulled up by the Ground Jury after a hairy moment at the Vicarage Vee had her hesitating over whether to come back ‘round for a second attempt; she decided not to but was judged to have jumped outside the flags ending her competition early. But Kylie will be channeling her European successes as she takes on Pau this week, with realistic hopes for another top result.

    ‘George’ has showed he’s capable of going sub-30 in the dressage phase as well as being a reliable jumper on cross country day, keeping time penalties firmly within single figures on the whole. He’s also a talent in the show jumping ring, enviably careful and clean over his fences, which is exactly the type of horse you want to be sat on in the final phase of a 5*. A couple of fun facts about this pair: George is owned by British period drama Downton Abbey actor Michael C. Fox and family, and when Kylie’s not busy with horses, she’s making them – saddle horses that is, which she creates from upcycled furniture. So now you know.

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    Tom Rowland and KND Steel Pulse (GBR) | Groom: Georgie Dobbin

    KND Steel Pulse returns to Pau, after making his 5* debut here last year. He finished comfortably within the top 25 on that occasion, with an unfortunate three poles on the final day dropping him down the leaderboard following a confident cross country round. Unfortunately, “Dermot” was eliminated on the cross country at Badminton on his second run at the level earlier this year, so Tom will be hoping to right those wrongs this week.

    Tom has produced Dermot from the very beginning of his eventing career, and together they have amassed several notable results, including a top 20 finish in the 4*S at Blair last year. Historically, the show jumping has proved to be the major chink in Dermot’s armour, but this season he has shown a marked improvement in this phase, testament to Tom’s patience and resilience when producing his horses. On his last 4*S run, he lowered just the one pole, earning him a top 20 finish, so hopefully that improved form will continue in Pau.

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    Tom Rowland and Quintilius (GBR) | Groom: Georgie Dobbin

    Initally based with Angela Tucker, Tom Rowland has also spent time at the yards of both Pippa Funnell and Nigel Taylor, before setting up his own yard. Since then, his name has been an almost permanent fixture on 5* entry lists; he first rose to prominence with Possible Mission, who he partnered around Burghley and Badminton several times. Subsequently, he has produced several more horses to the level, including Quintilius, who will be making his 5* debut here in France this week. Tom describes Quintilius as “very small, nippy and easy to turn,” so hopefully the twists and turns of Pau should be “right up his street!” After a year out last year, it has taken a little while to get this 12 year old gelding back up and running, but his recent 3rd place in the 4*S at Little Downham proves that Tom has left no stone unturned in getting him back to optimum fitness, primed and ready for his first 5*. “Our priority is obviously a good competition, but we are hoping he could be competitive as well – he’s feeling really, really well,” says Tom, and we will be keeping everything crossed that that is the case!

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    Louis Seychal and Bakar de l’Ocean LA (FRA)

    It’s a 5* debut for both Louis Seychal and Bakar de l’Ocean LA, a horse Louis has produced himself all the way up from the 1* level of international competition. Sired by the legendary eventing stallion, Birkhof’s Grafenstolz, this young horse has all the ingredients to make a true 5* competitor for Louis. Despite the fact their final prep at Lingières went awry with a parting of ways on cross country, they’ve got some seriously competitive results on their record nonetheless and could leave Pau with a nice token if they can replicate one of those performances this weekend. They’ve gone as low as 21.7 at the 3* level and have delivered more than one sub-30 score at 4* competition, and if they can do this at Pau they’ll put themselves into solid standing ahead of the jumping tests. They have a strong cross country record – the fall at Lignières could be forgiven as a one-off based on their record – and while of course a 5* is a new type of animal, if they can manage two clear jumping rounds they will be competitive here this weekend.

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    Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line (AUT)

    Lea Siegl may be young, but she sure is mighty. She stormed into the senior ranks with her junior and young rider horse ‘Fighty’ via the World Championships and was the youngest eventer at the Tokyo Olympics, where she finished 15th individually. Sadly, she didn’t get the chance to improve on that impressive placing in Paris this summer after being spun at the first horse inspection, a real blow as they’d gone into the Games in the form of their career, with two wins and a second place on their international record this season; since then they’ve added another win. This will be the pair’s third CCI5* start and Lea will be hoping it’ll be third time lucky and a first completion with her gutsy gelding. They were having a superb round last year at Pau when things got tricky and they had a fall at what ended up being the most influential fence on the course. Lea came out of it battered and bruised, but bounced back like the tough eventer she’s proved to be and comes to Pau for another go. There’s nothing quite like knowing your horse inside out when it comes to tackling the pinnacle of the sport, and when that horse regularly posts sub-30 dressage scores, is overwhelmingly careful and quick across the country and is a reliable show jumper, Lea’s got to be feeling good about her chances this week.

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    Storm Straker and Fever Pitch (GBR) | Groom: Nick Straker

    Some might say that Storm Straker was born to event: her father Nick was the winner of the inaugural Bramham Horse Trials, and her aunt is multi-Olympian Karen Dixon. Not one to rest on her laurels, Storm is also one of those incredible superhumans who manages to combine her equestrian pursuits with another career, working full-time for Howden Insurance. Her boss is none other than David Howden — creator of the “Howden Way” and president of the Cornbury House Horse Trials — so as Storm points out, he understands the time commitment required to compete at the top level of the sport!

    Storm and her long term partner “Pitchie” will be making their second start at 5*in Pau, although their first run at the level — in Luhmuhlen earlier this year — came to an untimely end, with a fall on the cross country. They have put that firmly behind them though, finishing in the top 15 on their three 4*S runs since then. They won the CCI4*-L at Ballindenis this year too, adding just 0.4 show jumping time penalties to their sub 30 dressage score and have previously finished within the top 20 at Blair and in the Eight/Nine-Year-Old class at Blenheim Palace.

    An incredibly sensitive horse, Storm and her dressage trainer Nicola Naprstrek have worked very hard to eliminate the tension that Pitchie tended to bring forward in the first phase, and it has certainly paid off — they are rarely out of the 20’s now, and scored a 33.6 on their 5* debut. Hopefully they will pull a similar score out of the bag this week, and make it safely around the cross country too!

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    Ginny Thomasen and Capitaine de Hus Z (NZL) | Groom: Emilia Hazell

    A “cheeky little chipmunk,” Capitaine de hus Z and Ginny will be making their first appearance at 5* in Pau this week, though their recent form would suggest that they are more than ready for the challenge. Winners of the 4*L in Kronenberg earlier this year, they also finished in the top 20 at Aachen, and again in their final prep run at Little Downham last month. Previously campaigned by Emma Winter, Ginny took the reins on “Alvin” in 2021, stepping him up to 4* last year. Alvin is a one or none kind of guy when it comes to the show jumping, and with a dressage score tending towards the lower end of the 30’s, the stage is set for a solid 5* debut. His owners David and Karie Thomsen will be flying out to see him go, so hopefully this diminutive gelding will step up to the mark and make their trip worthwhile!

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    Zara Tindall and Class Affair (GBR)

    This weekend marks the eighth 5* start for stalwart veterans Class Affair and Zara Tindall from Great Britain. They enjoyed a stellar cross country trip around Burghley last month until they parted ways about three-quarters of the way around, opening the door for a reroute to take advantage of that 5* fitness built up over the last few seasons. “Socks” has been a bit of a mercurial horse for Zara, delivering many a strong performance but also capable of throwing a wrench into the best-laid plans with a cheeky drive-by on cross country. Their best 5* finish came at Kentucky in 2023, when they finished 15th overall. They’ve gone as low as sub-30 once or twice in the past at this level but generally average more of a low-30s mark in the first phase, and if Zara can get Class Affair through the finish clean on Saturday, she will find herself in good stead to make a strong finish and perhaps even better her previous best finish at the level with this longtime partner of hers.

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    Alexander Tordoff and Cool Jack (GBR)

    Britain’s Alexander Tordoff makes his 5* debut alongside the 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding this weekend. This will be an experience-building weekend for this pair, who’ve been together since 2016 after the horse was first competed by Ros Canter. They have loads of experience at the level below, first stepping up to the 4* level together back in 2020 and methodically working through the kinks en route to this long awaited debut. They aren’t *quite* at the point where they’ve become competitive, with average dressage scores in the mid-to-high 30s and a smattering of rails on the final day marring their final scores. They are fairly reliable on cross country, though, and if they can deliver a clear and relatively fast round, they will go home pleased with their accomplishments in what will be their biggest test together to date.

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    Paolo Torlonia and ESI Bethany Bay (ITA)

    Our sole Italian pair this weekend is also stepping up to the 5* level for the first time. Paolo Torlonia and ESI Bethany Bay are poised to make their debut together, having begun their partnership back in 2020 after the 11-year-old Irish mare was produced in Ireland to start her eventing career. Since they got together, Paolo and ESI Bethany Bay have steadily ticked up the levels, finishing as well as 10th place in 4*-S competition, which coincidentally came in their final FEI prep for Pau at Little Downham last month. Their dressage scores have a bit trended in the wrong direction thus far this year, but they are a steady cross country pair with nary a cross country jumping penalty on their record. Paolo has also competed in pure show jumping with this mare, and though they do have some rails on their record, they do also have the ability to produce two strong jumping rounds when it counts. Look for this pair to be prioritizing experience and mileage in this 5* debut, but if they finish on their dressage score they could be looking at a top-20 or better finish to put the cherry on top.

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    Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent (GBR) | Groom: Francesca Gorni, Charlotte Holifield, & Jessica McKie

    Things sure started off rosie for ‘Rosie’ this season when she held her nerve right to the end and became Kentucky champion. She may have been a little off the pace following the first phase, but an accomplished cross country round saw her through the flags just one second over the optimum time and then a faultless performance in the final phase, whilst others succumbed to the pressure, sealed the deal. Unfortunately, things didn’t run to the same tune at Burghley last month, where an early rider fall out on course threw up a reroute to Pau

    Produced by Oliver from the start of her eventing career, this exceptional mare already has an impressive record and she’s still just a 10-year-old. In 22 FEI competitions she’s finished outside the top-7 just twice. Last season she won the prestigious 4*-S for eight- and nine-year-olds at Blenheim, finishing on her dressage of 24.7, the only competitor to keep a clean sheet across the board. She made her CCI5* debut at Luhmühlen the same year, where a green mistake saw her finish in 27th, but that educational run stood her in good stead; she came back in the fall to claim third at Maryland, where she would have won had it not been for two fences down in the final phase.

    Her dressage scores have been a little haphazard thus far; she’s well capable of landing in the low-20s but every now and then the flying changes get the better of her and she’ll be closer to 30. But it’s likely to be clear and quick come cross country day and then a hold your breath moment on the final day. Regardless, this mare is such an exciting prospect for Oliver, a real talent with (even more) big results to come, for sure.

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    Oliver Townend and Crazy du Loir (GBR) | Groom: Francesca Gorni, Charlotte Holifield, & Jessica McKie

    Oliver took over the ride on this smart mare from Britain’s Matt Heath at the beginning of the 2022 season and now brings her forward for her debut at the CCI5* level. She’s well-equipped for her step up to the top level with solid runs over suitably meaty tracks in the 4*-L events at both Blenheim and Bramham, where she finished 12th and 13th respectively and proved she’s got the turn of foot required to make good on cross country day, adding just a small handful of time penalties on each occasion. Her dressage scores at 4* tend to be in the low-30s and her cross country record is impressively clean. She’s also a careful jumper in the ring with an excellent clear round rate – in 19 FEI competitions she’s had show jumping penalties on just three occasions, exactly the kind of reliability you want in a 5* horse. There’s always a sense of the unknown when a horse takes on the top level for the first time, but Oliver’s put in the mileage with the promising mare at 4* this season and it’ll be interesting to see how she stacks up when it comes to the real deal.

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    Oliver Townend and En Taro des Vernier (GBR) | Groom: Francesca Gorni, Charlotte Holifield, & Jessica McKie

    Oliver comes to Pau triple handed, with the young but proven CCI5* talent Cooley Rosalent and two debutants at the level. En Taro des Vernier is relatively low mileage with just 13 FEI competitions under his girth, including only four 4* competitions, one at the long format. However, his path to the top of his sport has taken in the prestigious 4*-S for eight- and nine-year olds at Blenheim, where he finished 15th after adding a handful of cross country time and a show jumping pole (which proved to be expensive in the company) to his dressage score of 29.1, as well as the notoriously meaty 4*-L track at Bramham this season, where he finished just one place behind his stablemate and fellow Pau competitor, Crazy du Loir.

    First phase scores for this guy tend to have a pretty wide swing, with a ten mark difference between his highest and lowest, so it’s safe to say that we’ll just have to wait and see what happens between the white boards on the day. One thing we do know for sure is that this horse knows his way around a cross country track. There’s not a single jumping penalty on his record, although there is generally time added, but he’s a young horse so that’s to be expected, really. The show jumping hasn’t been quite so consistent thus far, but he does tend to keep it to just the one pole down. One of the cool things about Pau is that we get to see a whole bunch of horses stepping up to the level and a first glimpse of the future of the upper echelons of the sport, like this flashy newcomer.

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    Senne Vervaeck and Google van Alsingen (BEL)

    We’re excited to follow 5* debutants Senne Vervaecke and Google van Alsingen this week in France. At 27, Senne has been a lifelong horseman. It’s in his blood as the son of Kris Vervaecke who has ridden for Belgium at World and European Championships. Senne has brought this thirteen-year-old Dutch Warmblood up the levels himself to the pinnacle of the sport. He has ridden under the Belgian flag at six Junior and Young Rider European Championships before he made his Senior team debut with Google at the World Championships at Pratoni in 2022. Their efforts in the first phase will see them land in the mid-to-high-30s, and their cross country record at 4* is quite compelling with only four blips on their record since Google stepped up to the level in 2021. When show jumping is the final phase, they have seen a few four-fault rounds, but Senne will be delighted to see the finish flags on the final day of his first five-star regardless.

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    Aistis Vitkauskas and Commander VG (LTU)

    The 2024 season has not exactly played out how Aistis surely visualized it would. Slated to become Lithuania’s first Olympic eventer over the summer, those dreams were dashed by an elimination at his and Commander VG’s final qualification due to dangerous riding. They instead rerouted to Burghley where their weekend once again came to a premature ending when Aistis opted to retire after trouble early on course. This pair are hoping the third time’s the charm in the Pau CCI5*.

    Commander VG came to Aistis as a challenging 5-year-old and together he and the stunning bay have had six five-star completions since, including Commander’s debut here at Pau in 2020. They’ve additionally represented their country at both European and World Championships and were the first Lithuanian pair to complete at Badminton in 2023. Aistis and Commander VG were 19th here last year, though they did add a frustrating 20 penalties on cross country. With record-breaking entries this weekend, this pair won’t be going against world-beaters in the first phase, but rather will likely produce an acceptable high-30s score on the flat. More importantly, they will both be looking to get back into their groove on the cross country with the goal of a completion.

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    Patrick Whelan and Ikoon Lan (IRL)

    Another of Ireland’s rising stars — seriously, the Irish have it nailed when it comes to breeding talented young riders — this will be the second run a at 5* for both Patrick Whelan and his ride Ikoon Lan. They made their debut in Luhmuhlen earlier in the Summer, picking up a frustrating 20 cross country jumping penalties, though a top 5 finish in the 4*S at Ballindenisk last month would suggest they have put that firmly behind them Originally produced by his good pal Cathal Daniels, Patrick bought “Brutus” a couple of years ago, and they have quickly formed a strong partnership. The 11-year-old gelding only stepped up to 4*-L at Millstreet last June, and barring a frustrating 11 penalties on the cross country, he coped well with the challenge. He has continued to show his class since then, jumping around the CCI4*-L at Blenheim last year too.

    Dressage would not be this horse’s strong suit — expect a score in the high 30’s — and he is more likely to roll a pole or two on the final day, too. Still, Patrick will looking for a steady, clear run, putting those 20 penalties at Luhmuhlen firmly behind them, and finishing their season on a high.

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    Isabel White and Icarus (GBR)

    Izzy cut her teeth with Judy Bradwall, before setting up her own yard. Since then, she has proven herself to be quite the force to be reckoned with finishing third in the U254*L at Bramham in June with Icarus, her partner this week in Pau. Described by Izzy as a “timid character in the stable,” Icarus is certainly bold enough cross country; Bramham was his first 4*L and aside from time faults, he tackled it in fine style. Indeed, these two have finished in the top 10 in all but one of their International outings this season, including Little Downham 4*S last month in their final prep run ahead of Pau. Both of their first 5*, Izzy is trained by Caroline Moore, as part of the Performance Mentoring Programme, and will no doubt be grateful for Caroline’s ongoing support this week!

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    Zut Alors! Eight Horses Held at First Pau Horse Inspection, C’est Merde, Etc

    By on Oct 24, 2024 7:15 am -

    Boyd Martin and Fedarman B. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

    You know what takes a long time? A horse inspection with 73 horses in it. You know what takes even longer? A horse inspection with 73 horses in it and an evidently lonely holding box vet, who just wants a pony pal to hold for a little while, or, maybe, eight of the damn things, which is exactly what happened at this morning’s first horse inspection at Les 5 Etoiles de Pau.

    “The crazy thing is, there’s just one cup – the math doesn’t work at all! Here, let me show you,” says Belgian chef d’equipe Kai Steffen Meier, in an artist’s interpretation of this conversation. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

    Pau, the final five-star of the year, always works on a bit of a funny schedule: perhaps anticipating fewer entries at this end of the season, they put the horse inspection on Thursday morning, followed by a short and sweet dressage session in the afternoon and then a full day on Friday. But as it happens, a field of 73 isn’t actually particularly small, and so when it felt a bit like every other horse was being sent to the holding box, we all started getting a bit twitchy and checking our watches. I’m still twitchy now, even as I write this, but I think that might just be my annual end-of-season breakdown coming. We won’t know until we know, I guess.

    New Zealand’s James Avery serves up some fresh and tasty mullet at the first horse inspection. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

    Anyway, back to the strip: those 73 entrants represent an incredible fifteen countries, basically making this the Olympics v2.0 (and, happily, featuring a few of the partnerships who were at 1.0, including Poland’s Wiktoria Knap and Quintus 134, the USA’s Boyd Martin and Fedarman B, New Zealand’s Clarke Johnstone and Menlo Park, and plenty more besides). And, even more happily, all of them have been accepted into the competition by the ground jury of James Rooney (IRL), Katarzyna Konarska (POL), and Emmanuelle Olier (FRA), despite that busy holding box that contained, at various points…

    Belgium’s Wouter de Cleene and Quintera, Denmark’s Sara Bech Strøm and Dicte Aldrup, France’s Louis Seychal and Bakar de l’Ocean LA, Great Britain’s Caroline Harris and D. Day, Piggy March and Halo, Storm Straker and Fever Pitch, and Zara Tindall and Class Affair, and, finally, Ireland’s Robbie Kearns and his first of two rides, Ballyvillane OBOS. New Zealand’s Tayla Mason narrowly escaped a visit to the box when she was asked to trot up Centennial again on a looser rein, after which the pair were accepted.

    Piggy March and Halo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

    This year’s field isn’t just big and wildly multinational, it’s also pretty well packed with potential winners – last year’s champions, Ros Canter and Izilot DHI, return to defend their title after so nearly winning Luhmühlen in the summer and trying a second British ‘B’ and discovering it didn’t quite work for them in September, while the US has a serious double-hander in Boyd Martin and Federman B and Will Coleman and his Aachen champion, Off The Record. The Kiwis are helmed by Clarke Johnstone and the smart Menlo Park, but it’s hard not to get a bit hot under the collar for the young guns of Jarillo, ridden by Tim Price, and Lord Seekonig, ridden by Samantha Lissington, both of which have plenty of talent. China’s Alex Hua Tian has a compelling shout in Chicko, who makes his five-star debut this week, and the Brits are, as always, exceptionally well-mounted: joining Ros and Izilot DHI in the five-star winners’ club is newly-minted Maryland champ Oliver Townend and his Kentucky winner, Cooley Rosalent, who’s the best of his three rides here. Emily King and her two-time Grantham Cup winner Valmy Biats can be counted upon to put up a good fight in their Burghley reroute, as can Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ, who’s twice been on the podium at Luhmühlen. We’ve not seen Ben Hobday out eventing in a fair few seasons, but following the silver medal success of his horse, Shadow Man, at Paris, Ben’s taken the reins back from Chris Burton and returns to the top level on the back of a second place finish in Strzegom’s CCI4*-S. A meaty week, all things considered, to wrap up the European season proper.

    “Look, I’ll give you a really good deal on all the stuff I stole out of this storage unit I broke into if you buy the lot without asking any questions” – Oliver Townend, by the looks of it. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

    Today’s dressage will begin at 14.00 local time (13.00 BST/8.00 a.m. EST) with pathfinders Oliver Townend and En Taro des Vernier first to go. Our first US representatives will be Boyd and Fedarman B, who come forward at 14.21 (13.21 BST/8.21 a.m. EST), and in total, we’ll see 24 tests over the course of the afternoon, before finishing just in time for a glass of cheap rosé and, like, maybe an oyster or something from the food stands, because we’re in FRANCE, baby, and we’re going to live like it.

    Emily (Sam Lissington) in Pa(u)ris. Look, bear with us, we’re trying to make this work. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

    You can check out the times in full here, sign up for Pau’s newly-launched live stream service here, meet the field in our form guide, coming shortly, or catch up on the nitty-gritty of the week to come in our Ultimate Guide here – or you can hang out and wait a few hours for me to return to you with a basket full of stories. Whichever you prefer. You do you. Until then: Go Eventing! Allez allez allez! Something about les bleus!

    Les 5 Etoiles de Pau: [Website] [Entries] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

    Thursday News & Notes from TerraNova

    By on Oct 24, 2024 12:01 am -

    We’re ready to get underway with more 5* action this week at Les 5 Ètoiles de Pau! Arena familiarization was done yesterday for the pairs doing dressage today, and now we turn our attention to today’s First Horse Inspection and day one of dressage. Keep an eye out for full reports coming your way from Tilly Berendt later today, as well as our Form Guide to the stacked entry list of competitors. Follow along with our coverage of Pau here.

    U.S. Weekend Preview

    Bouckaert International & H.T. (GA) *US Equestrian Open Qualifier*: [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

    Waredaca Classic Three-Day and H.T. (MD): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

    YEH West Coast Championships at Twin Rivers (CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring]

    Hitching Post Farm H.T. (VT): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring]

    Major International Events

    Les 5 Etoiles de Pau (France): [Website] [Entries] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

    News & Reading

    Eventing Nation and Horse Nation are pleased to present our upcoming Holiday Gift Guide series! A series of gift idea lists aimed at everything from the Organizational Freak to the Tech Nerd in your family or barn group, this series will launch in mid-November to help all of the hapless gift givers out there with a gift you’ll ACTUALLY want. If your brand would like to place a product into a list or even obtain full ownership of an exclusive list just for you, visit this link to fill out our interest form. Placements in these lists start at $250, and insertions are being taken until November 11.

    Big changes are on the horizon for Wellington International. The Chronicle of the Horse reports that the iconic equestrian venue is set to be reacquired by its former ownership group, marking a new chapter in the facility’s storied history. Known for hosting some of the most prestigious events in the equestrian calendar, Wellington International will return to the hands of those who helped shape its legacy. Stay tuned for updates as this transition unfolds, and check out the full story here.

    Exciting news for the future of British eventing! The Howden Way Young Horse Academy has announced the talented combinations selected for its 2025 program. Focused on developing the next generation of elite eventing horses and riders, the academy provides top-level training, mentorship, and opportunities to promising young talents. The selected combinations will benefit from world-class coaching and support as they work toward their competitive goals. Head over to British Eventing to see the full list of selected pairs and learn more about this exciting initiative shaping the sport’s future!

    Ever wondered what drives equestrian consumers to make their purchasing decisions? A new study by ISQRE dives into the psychology behind equestrian consumer behavior, revealing how discounts and promotions can influence buying habits. The research explores the factors that motivate equestrians when selecting products and services, highlighting the importance of emotional connections, brand loyalty, and pricing strategies. If you’re curious about the insights shaping equestrian marketing, check out the full article on LinkedIn to learn more about unlocking these key consumer behaviors.

    Virginia Tech’s Equine Medical Center is celebrating a heartwarming success story with Patrick, a resilient horse who overcame significant health challenges. Patrick’s journey, from critical care to a remarkable recovery, showcases the dedication and expertise of the veterinary team, along with the powerful bond between horse and owner. This story highlights the cutting-edge care provided by the center and the hope they offer to horses facing serious health issues. Read the full article from Virginia Tech for more on Patrick’s inspiring recovery and the veterinary team that made it possible.

    In a powerful story of perseverance, veterinary oncologist Dr. Alexandra Peck shares how horses have been her outlet while battling her own cancer diagnosis. In this heartfelt feature from The Chronicle of the Horse, Dr. Peck talks about the healing power of her equestrian passion, balancing her medical career with her fight against cancer, and how riding has offered her solace and strength. Her journey is an inspiring reminder of the resilience found in both the equestrian and medical worlds. Read the full article for a closer look at her incredible story of courage and connection.

    Sponsor Corner: TerraNova Equestrian

    Less than a month to go, and it’s full steam ahead at TerraNova Equestrian Center as preparations for The Event at TerraNova are well underway! Despite the challenges posed by the recent hurricane, the TerraNova team has shown incredible resilience, pressing forward to ensure the event is better than ever. Course designer Alec Lochore and US Equestrian National Cross-Country Course Advisor Derek di Grazia were on site today, reviewing the CCI4* and CCI3* courses alongside builders Eric Bull and Dylan Barry. With exciting new updates and sneak peeks to come, keep your eyes peeled for all that’s in store. Don’t miss out—check out competition entries, VIP tickets, and more here.

    Video Break

    Ride iQ’s Ask An Expert is back, and this week we’re diving into the world of OTTBs. Whether you’re retraining an ex-racehorse or simply want to learn more about these amazing athletes, this week’s guest is one you won’t want to miss. OTTB expert Aubrey Graham, founder of Thoroughbred Logic and a coach for Ride iQ programs, shares her training methods and insights on transforming Thoroughbreds from track stars to show ring champions.

    The Maryland/Millstreet Exchange Program: Growing Eventing from the Ground Up

    By on Oct 23, 2024 12:30 pm -

    Madison Temkin competed Sportsfield Guarantee in Ireland, pictured here with his owner, Paul Donovan.

    While everyone’s eyes were glued to the Paris Olympics this summer, international connections were being made in a rural town in Maryland where an exchange program two years in the making was quietly taking place. Minus the NBC cameras and bellowing crowds, the goal of this program was largely the same as those for the Paris Olympics: to build international camaraderie and educate youth through sport.

    The Maryland – Millstreet Exchange Program was conceived in 2022, when the former governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, visited Ireland on an equestrian trade mission. Ireland native Fran Horgan was inspired by the connections she made through the trade mission and saw a unique opportunity to prolong the legacy of the trip.

    “When Governor Larry Hogan visited Ireland in 2022, he visited on an equine trade mission, and it was to promote a lot of the equine activities in Maryland, which includes the Maryland Five Star, right? It was from there that Ross Peddicord invited me over to experience the CCI5*. During that visit, I was introduced to Carolyn Mackintosh, and was able to visit her at her farm, at Loch Moy Farm.”

    Ireland is a country of horseman, through and through. Maryland is a hot spot for equestrian activities in the United States. But while both communities were passionate about eventing, Fran noticed a significant difference. “My initial thoughts on the five star was that there weren’t a lot of young people there compared to events that we would have in Ireland, where there’s nothing but kids and youngsters,” Fran said. “So the two aims that I was coming from was one to promote Loch Moy Farm and Millstreet International themselves, because without Carolyn Mackintosh and the Duggan family of Millstreet, we would lose two crucial venues. So how can we promote the venues and support them, and how can we then bring up the next generation and get them started in eventing?”

    Never one to sit back and wait for someone else to take action, Fran jumped at the opportunity to create a brand new program from scratch.

    “Let’s get the kids over. Let’s get them making connections, you know, friendships and seeing how each other does things differently,” Fran said. “I recognize a lot of things like, your grass is different from Irish grass. How would that affect an Irish horse? The gut microbiome would be totally different. Loch Moy’s on a granite hill, it’s very hard, and Maryland is very dry. Over here, we’re in a bog, and there’s a lot of rain. So how does the going change and differ? And the course builders? How are they building courses differently, etc. So it’s a real education for the young riders to get a flavor of how things are done, even if you just walk the course. And as it turned out, we were able to find horses for them to ride.”

    Fran’s idea slowly took shape and became more and more fleshed out with the support of key players such as the Maryland Horse Industry Board; the Cork County Council; Ireland’s Kelley Hutchinson of Hutchinson Sport Horses; Olympian Caroline Pamukcu; sports commentator Chris Ryan; Executive Director of the Maryland Horse Industry Board, Ross Peddicord; Loch Moy Farm owner Carolyn Mackintosh; and owners of the Millstreet International venue, the Duggan family.

    “I was able to work out that Carolyn and the Duggan family provided all the accommodation, the feed, the transport from the airports, etc,” Fran said. “The flights, which were the main costs, were sponsored by Cork County Council and the Maryland Horse Industry Board.”

    It was decided that the young rider with the top score at Millstreet International and the Maryland International would swap places the following year. In 2023, Madison “Maddy” Temkin was awarded the scholarship to go to Millstreet after earning fifth place in the CCI4*-S with her own MVP Madbum.

    Madison Temkin and MVP Madbum. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

    “I got to compete at the Burghley Young Event Horse qualifier at Millstreet, which was a lot of fun,” Maddy said. “It was definitely a bit of an eye opening experience on a lot of different levels. But I think one of the biggest things, honestly, was how they run their young event horse classes over there is quite a bit different than how we do it here. You warm up, you jump a couple of jumps, and you go do your dressage test, and then you go straight in the ring to do your jumping phase. Just get it all done in one go.”

    Millstreet International gets much more rain than they do here in Maryland. The week of the Burghley Young Event Horse competition, it had been particularly rainy, making the ground softer than usual. While this didn’t phase the Irish riders, it made a big difference to Maddy.

    “Watching horses leave the barn with studs in had me wondering what people are using around the world in different terrain and different venues. That was interesting,” Maddy said.

    Maddy rode Sportsfield Guarantee, a young gelding that she very quickly fell in love with. “He was probably about 15.1 hands. He’s a little guy, but it was kind of funny, because he was definitely my type of horse, which I think it was unintentional that it was my type of horse, but he was super cute,” Maddy said. “He hadn’t had a ton of experience, and to me, it was big, you know, for a four year old. He definitely got better as he jumped around. He was a really, really nice horse, and I was joking around that I wanted to bring him home, but I couldn’t find anyone who wanted to help me buy him to bring him home. He was really cool.”

    While there, Maddy also met her partner, of sorts, Godfrey Gibbons, who, as the top-placed young rider at Millstreet International, would travel to the Maryland International. Godfrey was slightly taken by surprise at the opportunity to travel to Maryland.

    “I think it was only halfway through the week when I met Kelley and they told me about the exchange. I had no idea prior to that,” Godfrey said. “That obviously had me go and make sure I was on the ball for the end of the week to make sure all the results came in. And then we won it on the last day. It was a nice surprise to get.”

    While Maddy had traveled to the United Kingdom a few times before, having sourced her two horses, Fernhill Bertus and Fernhill Fairytale, from Ireland. Godfrey, while having traveled extensively around the United Kingdom and Europe, had never been to the United States.

    “I was just really looking forward to getting out somewhere new and just seeing how everything worked over there,” Godfrey said. “I’ve always seen stuff online about competing in America, and I was always fascinated by it, and I always wanted to get the opportunity to go out and just to see new things and experience new things and see what was done out there, and get a bit more knowledge for myself.”

    The heat in Maryland in July is a beast that’s difficult for locals to deal with, let alone someone used to the cool temperatures of Ireland. Unfortunately for Godfrey, this past July reached record high temperatures.

    “The heat out in Maryland is very different to ride in. Then again, it was just something that [the horses here] wouldn’t experience at all,” Godfrey said. “I was so surprised how I was riding two young, five-year-old horses, and I was just surprised how out there they’re used to the heat and able to keep going. Whereas if I brought one of my horses out [to Maryland] at that age, they wouldn’t be up for it at all.”

    Godfrey Gibbons competes Redfield Oban at Maryland. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

    Despite the extreme temperatures, Godfrey said the hard work that Loch Moy Farm put into the ground paid off. “I was amazed at the amount of work put into the venue, especially across the country for the terrain and everything. It was lovely going through the forest. It was just such a nice venue for cross country.”

    Godfrey competed Redfield Oban HR, owned by Redfield Farm. He had very little time to get to know the five-year-old, but luckily is used to catch riding and competing horses.

    “So, I flew over on Wednesday. I rode on Wednesday evening, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and then competed on Sunday,” Godfrey said. “I’m kind of used to that type of thing. I was definitely a fair bit nervous for us when I was riding someone else’s horse, and especially someone like Caroline [Pamukcu]. So I made sure I did the job right. But no, I think it was okay. I got the hang of him really quickly, and he’s a lovely horse. It was great to work with Carolyn and her team.”

    Godfrey was thrown right into the deep end at the Maryland International, in terms of American culture, as it was held the same weekend as the USEF Young Event Riders Championships. The celebrations included races on bouncy horses, a mechanical bull, water balloons, and water guns. “I thought it was great,” Godfrey said. “It got people to interact and meet each other. In Ireland, we wouldn’t really have all that. So we (in Ireland) can be fairly quiet sometimes at the events. People just go and do their own thing, and then they all go back to their own trucks or hotels and go away for the night. Over [in America], you have time to meet and talk to each other, as well as just get to know more people. It was all fun and laughs.”

    For both Maddy and Godfrey, the connections they made through the exchange program was a huge benefit to their learning experience. “I definitely, you know, saw some connections that I’d already made in Ireland, and probably made those connections a little bit stronger, as well as meet new people, for sure,” Maddy said. “I think it opened my eyes a little bit and gave me a little bit more knowledge. Honestly, I took a lot away from competing in and watching the young horse classes, as I produce a lot of young horses. I think it definitely gave me some valuable knowledge that I can use in producing my own young horses.”

    As for Godfrey, his first trip to America taught him a lot about what the country, or at least rural Maryland, is like as compared to what he’s seen on TV. “I’ve only ever seen parts of America in movies, and maybe some videos of events. But I was actually surprised at how quiet it was. I was expecting a really busy town. There were lots and lots of people, but it was actually nice and laid back, like the venue. It was just comfortable being there. There was no big panic on the part of the competitors. Everyone was very friendly. And especially Carolyn, the venue owner, gave us, and all the volunteers, food and everything you could want, and drinks, and told us to help ourselves.”

    If you’re an aspiring young professional who’s fortunate and talented enough to win a spot in a program like this one, Godfrey and Maddy have some advice for you.

    “Just look forward to it and go out and enjoy it and be social to meet everybody and get as much out of it as you can,” Godfrey said.

    “Our sport is so different in so many places,” Maddy said. “And I think having experiences and gaining knowledge from as many different people in as many locations as you can is really important to the development of yourself as a rider.”

    Fran hopes to see this program grow into something bigger than an exchange program between just the USA and Ireland in the future and hinted at a possible Nations Cup-style event for young riders that would include any nation who could scramble together a team.

    “If you don’t involve the youth, it will die out as a sport, right? As a young rider community, could we not grow this now?” Fran said. “And it’s all about supporting the venues, too. When you lose a venue, you lose an opportunity. No matter what pony you buy for your kid, one day there might be no place to take it.”