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Eventing Nation’s coverage of Les 5 Etoiles de Pau is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products, our go-to source for the best support your horse can get. With a full line of proven supplements designed to help your horse feel his or her best, you can have peace of mind knowing that Kentucky Performance Products has your horse’s top health in mind. Learn more about KPP by visiting kppusa.com.

Tim Price’s keen and clean Falco delivers the goods to maintain his hold on the lead in his five-star debut. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

We meet again, Michelet the Menace. Pierre Michelet, the designer of Pau’s CCI5* track, can always be counted upon to bring a smorgasbord of technical, tough questions to the table, and this year’s renewal of the French five-star certainly delivered, creating significant influence throughout this afternoon’s action and playing snakes and ladders with the post-dressage leaderboard.

45 horses and riders left the start box today following the overnight withdrawal of Australian duo Hazel Shannon and her three-time Adelaide winner Willingapark Clifford, who were making their European debut this week, and just 36 of them will go on to tomorrow afternoon’s final horse inspection and showjumping finale after a spate of retirements and eliminations on course. One of those came late in the day from Great Britain’s Izzy Taylor and Fonbherna Lancer, who sat tenth after dressage and looked to be making light work of the course until a nasty rotational fall just a handful of fences from home knocked them out of contention. We’re pleased to report that although Izzy was knocked unconscious by the fall, necessitating a hold on course, she hasn’t suffered any serious injuries and was conscious when transported to the local hospital for further observation, while Fonbherna Lancer was uninjured and walked away from the fall without issues.

That was certainly the most frightening moment on course today, but there was plenty of harmless drama too, with a number of top contenders running into trouble out on course. That included Brazil’s Carlos Parro and Calcourt Landline, equal eighth after dressage, who retired at the tail end of the course after a 20 at 27B, and debutants Bubby Upton and Cannavaro, who picked up an early 20 at the influential angled hedges at 5AB and called it quits. All three combinations who’d sat in equal 11th after dressage — William Fox-Pitt and Oratorio, Ailsa Wates and Woodlands Persuasion, and Madison Crowe and Waitangi Pinterest — completed with jumping penalties, and William, who sat third overnight with second ride Little Fire, would also notch up a late 20 at 27B with the gelding, dashing his hopes of a win here on the tenth anniversary of his last.

But the man at the very top of the leaderboard remained steadfast in his dominance, despite not actually expecting to achieve a clear inside the time today. New Zealand’s Tim Price has plenty of faith in his debutant, the small but perfectly formed Falco, but he came to the event with a pragmatic mindset about what was to come: though undeniably talented, the gelding has had some little wobbles across the country, and a first five-star always comes replete with a big question mark, no matter how consistent a horse is.

“I wasn’t sure if I’d be sitting [in the top three] or anywhere near here after yesterday, because this is an unknown department for my horse at this level,” says Tim. “But he really just delivered everywhere, including looking after me a couple of times, which is what we all want in five-star horse. They need to think for themselves from time to time, and he certainly did that.”

Tim was one of many people — including course designer Pierre — to be surprised by how achievable the time was, even for these inexperienced horses. Yesterday, he’d mentioned in the press conference that he thought he might add time along the way — “Jonelle has already pointed out the different places where I was incorrect with my predictions, and that was one of them,” he says with a laugh.

“The time was a little easier than we expected or anticipated — it’s one of those things where you just don’t know until you know. I just thought the horses would be a little more tired with the rigours of the course behind then and we’d be nursing them home a little bit more,” he says. But, he says, the ‘typical Pierre course’ was fairly built and made the best possible use of the small space its situated within, and “the ground was very good — it was just a smooth round and the horse met the fences well.”

Tim Price and Falco jump through the racetrack water complex. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sometimes, horses seem to wait in the wings for their moment to shine, and today, Falco decided the eyes of the world were on him and he could deliver the goods. The pair executed a masterful clear inside the time, with the extravagant jumping horse tucking his knees like a showjumper over every fence — a hint, certainly, of what we can expect tomorrow from the gelding, who’s one of the most consistent showjumpers in the field.

Padraig McCarthy and Fallulah step up into second place with a classy clear inside the time. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The scoreboard after the first phase saw a Price family domination at the business end, with Tim’s lead closely followed by wife Jonelle Price and her own debutant, the former Mark Todd mount McClaren, in second place. But although Jonelle and ‘Mac’ produced an excellent clear round to well and truly put their 20 penalties at Aachen behind them, their 4.4 time penalties would drop them down to overnight sixth, opening the door for the some of the eleven combinations who delivered clear rounds inside the time to make their way into the top spots.

Chief among those was Ireland’s Padraig McCarthy, who began his week by posting his own best-ever international score of 24.9 yesterday with the five-star first-timer Fallulah, following it up with a catty clear that brought them home bang on the optimum time today. That allowed them to move up from fourth to second as we head into the final day.

“I was really thrilled with my mare today,” says Padraig of Fallulah, who was bred by former five-star rider and active eventing coach Ian Wills and produced to four-star by British rider Emily Philp. “I didn’t really know how she would cope with everything; I didn’t come with huge expectations, but she gave me a really great spin and kept fighting all the way to the end.”

Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend take third place going into the final phase. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Australia’s Kevin McNab is riding high on a well-deserved wave of self-belief after a major win in last week’s Seven-Year-Old World Championship, and today, he came ever closer to a much-deserved first five-star victory. The rangy Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend made his level debut here last year, and though his 20 penalties could have been a sign that Pau wasn’t his type of track, Kevin chose instead to use it as a learning moment — and today, the gelding showed just how much of an education he took from that day and his subsequent runs. He, too, posted a clear inside the time, boosting him from fifth to provisional third on his two-phase score of 26.2.

“My guy gave me a great round today,” says Kevin, who sits just a rail behind the leader as we look ahead to showjumping. “He answered all the questions really well, even if I didn’t always come up with the right response for him, so I was really happy with him. He actually found the time quite gettable as well, and I was expecting the time to be a lot tougher.”

Oliver Townend’s MHS King Joules makes a ten-place leap to take fourth overnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Top of the Brits was Oliver Townend, who successfully trailblazer at the start of the day with Ridire Dorcha, adding 4.4 time penalties to move up from 15th to 12th place. But it was his second ride, the stalwart but notoriously tricky MHS King Joules, who once again made the greatest climb: his attacking round, which showed off the sixteen-year-old’s considerable experience, earned — you guessed it! — a totally penalty-free score, allowing the pair to step up ten places from fourteenth to fourth on 27.5.

Bubby Upton impresses on her five-star debut, and will go into showjumping in fifth place with Cola III. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Though she wisely chose to retire her second ride, Bicton under-25 CCI4*-L winner Cannavaro, after an early run-out, British debutant Bubby Upton made magic happen with her first round. Piloting long-time partner Cola, with whom she won individual silver at the 2019 Young Rider Europeans, she rode the course as though it was her twentieth five-star rather than her first, seeking out the forward distances that Michelet favours and attacking them without once sacrificing her sympathetic riding style. As she jumped the final fence and hugged her beloved gelding’s neck, it was a moment sweetened by the knowledge that she’d just come home clear and inside the time on her first-ever five-star round.

Bubby Upton celebrates after jumping the final fence in her first five-star. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Pop quiz time, guys! When was the last time we saw a young British debutant deliver a penalty-free round at Pau? Ding-ding and a bottle of the fizzy stuff to you if your mind went straight to Molly Summerland, who did just that last year with Charly van ter Heiden and went on to win her second go at the level this summer. There’s no doubting that Bubby, who’s already an extraordinarily consistent competitor, has something just as big waiting around the corner for her, and she’s certainly not out of touch of the top spot today, either: her superb effort puts her in fifth place overnight, a huge leap from her seventeenth place after dressage on a score of 28.5.

Jonelle Price adds just a smattering of time with McClaren to drop from second to sixth. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Do you always feel like somebody’s watching you? Bubby might, with Jonelle Price and McClaren sitting a mere third of a penalty behind them on 28.8 after their 4.4 time penalties made them the only combination in the top ten to add anything in this phase. But she doesn’t have much of a buffer either: less than a penalty separates sixth-placed Jonelle from seventh-placed Tom McEwen, who overcame a nasty case of the flu to give debutant CHF Cooliser an excellent ride across the country.

Tom McEwen and CHF Cooliser move into seventh place from twentieth. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

They’d deliver yet another clear inside the time as the feisty chestnut mare — who’s often called Queen Elizabeth at home, due to her tendency towards royal-level demands — proved she’s a worthy second string to Tom’s 2019 winner and Olympic silver medallist Toledo de Kerser.

David Doel delivers clear rounds inside the time on both his rides — the only competitor to achieve this impressive feat. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Great Britain’s David Doel doesn’t get enough credit for his masterful cross-country riding, but he certainly should: he was one of several two-horse riders today, but was the only one to bring both home clear and inside the time. The first of those was his diminutive chestnut Carneyhaugh Rua, who has now done just that in both his runs at the level, and was able to climb from 46th to 23rd place as a result of today’s excellent effort. The second, though, propelled the rider straight into the top ten, despite a tricky situation halfway through their round. As David tackled the twisty, circuitous middle section of the racetrack with Galileo Nieuwmoed, he was pulled up on course as medics tended to Izzy Taylor after her crashing fall. Though the hold would stretch over seemingly endless minutes, David quickly settled the inexperienced gelding back into his previous positive rhythm, and while he was initially awarded a smattering of time penalties, these were quickly removed at the end of the day. Now, David and the ten-year-old Dutch gelding, who fell on his debut at Bicton last month, go into showjumping in eighth place on a competitive score of 29.7 — a great leap from their initial 21st place. This is a reliable showjumping horse, too, so we could be about to see David’s second five-star top-ten finish of the year — and, finally, a chance for the rider to be heralded as the top-notch competitor he is.

Alex Bragg’s King of the Mill proved that his debut last year was a valuable run, even if it was imperfect on paper. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Speaking of top-notch competitors — and all-round nice blokes, too — we were all very sad to see the news that Alex Bragg had opted to retire the great Zagreb recently. The seventeen-year-old gelding notched up an impressive four top-five finishes here over his ultra-consistent career, and in stepping up to the first string, young King of the Mill had some seriously big shoes to fill. And today, he was game for the challenge — and we wouldn’t have held it against you for a moment if, squinting through the rain to catch them galloping through the trees, you’d thought for a moment that Alex was back aboard his horse of a lifetime. After a green mistake on his debut here last year, King of the Mill obviously took a tip or two from his stablemate, and this year we’ll see him go into tomorrow’s finale in ninth place on his two-phase score of 30. Not too shabby at all, we reckon.

France’s Maxime Livio and Vitorio du Montet head towards a repeat of last year’s success, stepping up tenth place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

France’s Maxime Livio rounds out the top ten and heads up the home effort with Vitorio du Montet, with whom he finished eighth here last year on the horse’s debut. The Selle Français certainly isn’t your typical stamp of an event horse: he’s angular and a touch inelegant in his conformation, but once again, he proved today that he’s incredibly game and absolutely full of ‘allez!’ For the second year in a row, he added nothing in this phase, and if he can go clear again tomorrow, we could see him match or better last year’s placing.

“My horse is a great strider and so he needs a little bit of space at the beginning of the course,” says Maxime. “So I was a little bit behind the time at the three-minute mark and I had to ask the horse to gallop a little bit more — and when I do that, he doesn’t come back so easily. That makes him a bit more tired than I would expect around this course, but he was very generous the whole way around.”

Liz Halliday-Sharp’s Cooley Quicksilver discards boyhood and becomes a man out on course. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It’s been a super day for our sole US representatives Liz Halliday-Sharp and the striking Cooley Quicksilver, who put the frustrations of yesterday’s dressage behind them and made easy work of the gelding’s second-ever five-star track this afternoon. Like several of the top-ranked horses in this field, ‘Monster’ demonstrated how productive an imperfect debut can be: he’d had a green mistake at Kentucky this spring, but looked classy and mature on course today, adding 8.4 time penalties to leap from 35th to 21st place.

Mike Winter’s horse of a lifetime comes good at the top level. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Similarly, Canada’s Mike Winter had run into trouble in El Mundo‘s five-star debut at Bicton last month, and opted to retire on course so the gelding could be rerouted here. That decision paid dividends, and the pair produced a steady, confidence-building clear with 24 time penalties to move from 33rd to 26th place going into the final horse inspection tomorrow.

The Sunday schedule feels quite civilised, particularly after that sunrise horse inspection on Thursday; because the marathon phase of the CAIO4* combined driving competition takes precedence in the morning, we won’t actually head into the final horse inspection until 12.45 p.m. local time tomorrow (that’s 11.45 a.m. UK time or 7.45 a.m. Eastern time, because the clocks go back on this side of the pond tonight). Then, we’ll dive into the showjumping from 2.45 p.m. local time/1.45 p.m. UK/9.45 a.m. Eastern. As always, you can catch all the action on Horse&Country TV — and we do recommend following along if you can, because Pau’s showjumping phase always proves hugely influential here. Plus, you’ll get to catch the sheer madness of the prize giving, in which they send fit event horses and out-of-control combined driving horses on the most chaotic joint lap of honour you’ll ever witness. It’s beautiful, and it’s totally, uniquely Pau. Catch you there, pals.

The top ten following cross-country at Les 5 Etoiles de Pau.

5 Etoiles de Pau: Website, Program & Ticketing, Live Stream, Entries, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Eventing Nation’s coverage of Les 5 Etoiles de Pau is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products, our go-to source for the best support your horse can get. With a full line of proven supplements designed to help your horse feel his or her best, you can have peace of mind knowing that Kentucky Performance Products has your horse’s top health in mind. Learn more about KPP by visiting kppusa.com.

Photo via Les 5 Etoiles de Pau.

Bonjour and good morning — it’s cross country day at Pau CCI5*! Les 5 Etoiles de Pau always promises an exceptionally exciting second phase thanks to it’s twisty-turny Pierre Michelet-designed course, and today should certainly be no exception. The leaderboard is absolutely jam-packed, with over half the field sitting within 10 penalty points of the leader.

Speaking of the leader: that’s Tim Price with five-star debutant Falco. Tim delivered a personal best at the level yesterday, a score of 22.1, which saw him steal the lead from his wife, Jonelle, who sits second on a 24.4 with former Mark Todd ride McClaren. Catch up with Tilly Berendt’s dressage wrap-up here. You won’t want to miss those rides: Jonelle and McClaren will leave the start box at 10:03 am EDT/ 4:03 pm local time. Tim and Falco will follow at 10:30 am EDT/ 4:30 pm local.

We have one American in the field today: Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver, who will leave the start box at 9:09 am EDT/ 3:09 local time. The full order of go and start times can be found here.

H&C+ subscribers can also watch the livestream for themselves — find it here! Not a subscriber, but want to watch? Click here. Otherwise, buckle up and keep refreshing this page for a by-the-minute play-by-play! The action kicks off at 7:30 am EDT.

5 Etoiles de Pau: Website, Program & Ticketing, Live Stream, Schedule/ Start List/ Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

11:30 am: Here are your top 10 after today’s cross country. Tim Price and Falco hang on to the top spot, but won’t have a rail in hand ahead of the now second placed Padraig McCarthy and Fallulah. As expected, today’s course brought some big shuffling to the leaderboard. Stay tuned for a full detailed report from Tilly Berendt later today. We have no additional word on Izzy’s status at this time, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted with whatever we hear.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

11:24 am: And that’s a wrap! William still receives a boisterous round of warm cheers as he’s over the last and cross the finish line with Little Fire. He cracks a smile despite that disappointing stop and gives the crowd some love back.

11:22 am: Noooooo! Little Fire falls prey to that little brush drop at 27B and they pick up a stop. Unfortunately, that will take this pair out of contention for a top placing.

11:19 am: Looks like Joseph has opted to retire after that early runout, so that leaves WFP and Little Fire as the last on course. They’re clear over fence 24. Sitting 3rd after dressage, they could take over second place heading into showjumping if they go fast and clear.

11:17 am: Gah, Gorsehill Pearl says NOPE to fence 5a to pick up an early 20 penalties:

Screenshot via H&C TV.

11:16 am: Our last pair of the day, Joseph Murphy and Gorsehill Pearl are now freshly out of the box.

11:14 am: David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed crosses the finish flags four seconds over time. He’s had a pretty good day at the office with his two rides! WFP and Little Fire are clear so far though fence 9.

11:12 am: Astier Nicolas says that WFP is “the most French of the British” and has charmed the fans here in France by giving his press conferences in French. He gets big cheers form the home crown as he leaves the start box. David Doel is nearing the end of the course, still clear.

11:11 am: We have just two riders left to do after David and William Fox Pitt and Little Fire are circling the start box now.

11:08 am: OK, David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed are back underway now. We can infer that Izzy has been safely moved off-course. Our boots on the ground, Tilly Berendt, has told me that she’s gotten unofficial word that Izzy is conscious and is en route to the hospital under the care of the medics. We’re wishing her the absolute best.

11:01 am: Alright, we have a hold on course now while Izzy is tended to. We don’t have any word on her status yet, but will let you know the moment we do. David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed had started and were clear through fence 13AB and are now being held before fence 14.

10:56 am: SHIT. Izzy and Fonbherna Lancer take a very hard fall after the horse catching it’s front end on fence 29A. We’re unsure of Izzy’s status at the moment, but we get a glimpse of Fonbherna Lancer up and being walked home by Izzy’s team.

10:54 am: Meanwhile, Izzy Taylor and Fonbherna Lancer are getting close to home and Izzy is giving the hose a great ride. Here they are mid-stride at that funny fence 27, so you can get a look at this up-bank:

Screenshot via H&C TV.

10:51 am: Oliver crosses the finish line with MHS King Joules and they sneak in 2 seconds under the clock for a double clear round! That will move them up from their 14th place after dressage, into provisional 4th at the moment, just ahead of Bubby Upton and Cola.

10:49 am: Bubby Upton is back again for her second round of the day, now with Cannavaro and ahhh!!! They fly by 5B. Having already completed the course on her first ride and given herself the experience, she opts to retire Canavaro and save him for another time.

10:47 am: Alright, now that we know who our overnight leader is going to be, let’s catch up with everyone else on course. Alex and King of the Hill have just finished now and have turned in a fantastic double clear round to stay on their score of 30.0. He’s super pleased and playing to the cheers of the crown. Oliver and MHS King Joules are now clear through fence 19 and we also now have Izzy Taylor and Fonbherna Lancer on course now and clear so far even after a bit of sticky moment to 10B.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

10:42 am: Fantastic! Tim and Falco finish easily 8 seconds under with no jumping faults to retain the overnight lead on their dressage score of 22.1. This is another first-time fiveve-star horse, by the way, and what a start for this horse. He gets big pats from Tim, who is clearly please with Falco’s efforts.

10:41 am: Tim and Faco have 38 seconds to get home as they enter the arena.

10:40 am: Here’s Oliver Townend now out of the box on MHS King Joules. He’s giving this horse another go at the level this year after parting ways at the Bicton 5*a few months ago.

10:37 am: We can hear the crowd in the arena going absolutely wild for Cedric Lyard, who is originally from the south of France. He and Unun de’Or finish nicely and pick up just 2.4 time penalties. Still all clear for both Tim and Alex on course.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

10:34 am: Tim and Falco are looking good through the lake at fence 12A and B. They’re a bit down on the clock t the moment, that’s normal for this point in the course after the twisty beginning. Cedric Lyard is clear through 25 and Alex Bragg and King of the Mill are fresh out fo the start box.

10:30 am: Our overnight leaders Tim Price and Falco are now on course!

10:29 am: Remi Pillot and Tom Chik du Levant have picked up another 20 penalties at 13Band has opted to retire. We’re also joined on course now by Cedric Lyard and Unun de’Or who are now clear through fence 9. Tayla Mason and Centennial are now through the finish flags with their 20 plus time.

10:25 am: Also on course now is Remi Pillot and Tom Chik du Levant, who we haven’t seen on the livestream yet but picked up 20 penalties at fence 5B. Madison Crowe and Waitangi Pinterest have now finished with a total of 38 faults to add to their dressage score. Tayla Mason and Centennial are through fence 27 now.

10:22 am: I’m a bit behind here as we’ve got two on course I haven’t even metioned yet: Madison Crowe saw a stride to 25A, but Waitangi Pinterest says “What fence?” and flies right by it. They’ll pick up 20 penalties there. Meanwhile Tayla Mason and Centennial pick up a runout at 13B after a bit of a big jump over the fist element.

10:18 am: Up Up And Away kinda sorta tries to jump 25B for Caroline Powell, but they take out the flag with the horse’s shoulder and it’s debatable whether or not the horse make enough of a jumping effort. They continue on, so we’ll wait and see whether they get penalties there or an elimination.

10:16 am: They jumped fabulously, but Jonelle and McClaren come in 11 seconds over time which will give them a score of 28.8 now, dropping them to a current provisional 4th just behind Bubby Upton and Cola on their 28.5. Bubby was in 17th after dressage, if that give you a good idea of how closely packed the scores are!

10:14 am: “I would listen to Jonelle” says Astier Nicholas from the commentary box as Jonelle guides McClaren through the fence 27 bank and small drop.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

10:11 am: Jonelle sees a great stride to the Pau version of the Cottesmore Leap which sadly makes for a real crappy screen shot, but here you go anyway.

10:10 am: Tom Jackson and Billy Cuckoo are home now with no jumping and 2.4 time faults.

10:09 am: McClaren was Sir Mark Todd’s WEG horse in 2018, but this is actually his first five-star. So far so good for Jonelle, who’s giving the horse a handy ride. I’m sure the rain isn’t bothering her at all! Caroline Powell and Up Up And Away are newly on course.

10:06 am: Selina Milnes and Iron are home with 4.4 time faults. Tom Jackson and Billy Cuckoo are clear through 19 while Jonelle and McClaren are clear through 9 so far.

10:03 am: Jonelle Price and McClaren have left the start box! They sit in second overnight on a score of 24.4. Can they go double clear and put the pressure on husband Tim, who’s leading the pack?

Screenshot via H&C TV.

10:00 am: It really do be raining though. Here’s a foggy Selina Milnes over the a vicarage see-esque fence near the midpoint of the course — they’re still clear. We’ve also got Tom Jackson and Billy Cuckoo on course now and clear through 10.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

9:57 am: Nooo… Carlos Parro and Calcourt Landline fall prey to that troublesome 27B. They’ve retried and are walking home. The sole pair on course now are Selina Milnes and Iron — they’re clear through fence 11.

9:53 am: “He’s full of petrol!” our live stream commentators say of CHF Cooliser as he crosses the finish with Tom. They come in clear and four seconds under time and will keep their dressage score of 29.6. Looks like Tom has got himself another top class horse!

9:50 am: Philippa Cross and Scoop de Ferbet are home now: clear but almost a minute over time. Tom McEwan is nearing home now and giving his horse, another five-star debutant, a super ride. Carlos is clear through fence 17.

9:47 am: So far so good for everyone on course at the moment: Philippa and Tom. Brazil’s Carlos Parro and Calcourt Landline are also on course now as the rain, which has been a bit off and on so far, has started to pick up again.

9:42 am: We’ve got Philippa Cross and Scoop de Ferbet also on curse now and clear so far, along with Tom McEven and CHF Cooliser just starting, and — oh shoot, Dacapo doubts himself at the 25B a skinny in the final water and runs out. Laura puts her hand up and calls it a day.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

9:40 am: BAM! Padraig and Fallulah finish right on the optimum time and Padraig gives us a big fist pump! He took a chance and asked the horse for a bit of a long spot at the last combination, but the horse answered and the chance paid off. He takes over as clubhouse leader now, sticking with their dressage score of 24.9.

9:36 am: We can hear the cheers from the arena as Mike and El Mundo finish. They’ve jump clean but are exactly a minute over time.

9:35 am: Ah dang, an early problem on course for Laura as Dacapo spooks a bit at the 7B drop into the first water and stops. They loop around to take the long route and continue on.

9:33 am: Now on course: reining Pau champion Laura Collett! This time she ride five-star debutant Dacapo.

9:32 am: Tina and Billy the Red finish with no jumping faults and 8 time penalties. Mike and El Mundo are clear through 26 while Padraig and Fallulah are clear through 19.

9:29 am: Padraig McCarthy and Fallulah also join us on course now. Here’s a shot Tina Cook and Billy the Red over that funny 27B. You can see it’s not a big drop, but it comes after a small step up onto this mound and seems to be making the horses slow down second guess themselves a bit.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

9:26 am: And they’re home! Cathal and Rioghan Rua are just one second over time after a very stylish and smooth ride over the last few fences inside the arena. Tina Cook is for clear through 25 and Canada’s Mike Winter an El Mundo are also on course now and clear through 12.

9:24 am: OK there’s Cathal and Rioghan Rua. He’s urging the mare on on the gallop stretch leading to fence 29.

9:21 am: Liz and Monster are home! They’re clear with 8.4 time faults to now sit on a score of 40.9.

9:20 am: Tina Cook and Billy the Red are on course now. Billy the Red hesitates for a split second at the drop into the first water, but a quick correction from Tina makes it no problem at all. I don’t think we’ve seen a second of Cathal on the livestream, but they’re apparently clear through fence 26.

9:18 am: Sofia Sjoborg and DHI Mighty Dwight are finishing up now, clear but over a minute over time. Liz is clear through fence 21. Also on course now are Cathal Daniels and the spicy Rioghan Rua.

9:14 am: Monster juuuust squeezes his hind inside the flags at the 13B element, leaving the flag swinging but not knocked. Clear so far. Here’s Liz through the big ‘ol corner at fence 12B:

9:13 am: SRS Kan Do looks absolutely full of running as he crosses the finish flags with Kylie, who’s another first-timer at the level. That’s a fabulous ride for them, with no jumping faults and 5.6 time penalties.

9:10 am: USA! USA! Our gal Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver are fresh out on course and may I say, Monster’s orange Flair Strip that matches Liz’s helmet cover looks particularly sharp.

9:07 am: On course now is Sofia Sjoborg of Sweden and beautiful gray DHI Mighty Dwight. They’re clear through fence 10. Kylie Rody and SRS Kan Do are still going well and clear through 21.

Screenshot via H&C TV.

9:05 am: I can’t get gifs to work correctly, so apologies to anyone I’m disappointing on that front. But here’s a screenshot of Kylie Rody and SRS Kan Do streeeeeetching over one of the early fences on course.

9:03 am: Huge cheers for Maxime as he crosses the finish flags! They finish one second under time and will stay on their dressage sore of 30.6.

9:01 am: Maxime is giving his horse a good ride and they’re nearing the end of the course, clear so far. Hazel Shannon and Willingapark Clifford would have been next out of the box but withdrew before XC, so Kylie Rody and SRS Kan Do are up next and they’re clear through fence 9.

8:59 am: That’s how it’s done! Kevin and Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend are home 12 second under time and looking great. They’ll stay on their dressage score and that makes them our clubhouse leaders.

8:58 am: Kevin is galloping down the long stretch before the area. He’s looking good on the clock.

8:55 am: Another fabulous finish for a five-star first-timer! Alice Casburn and Topspin are through the flags with a handful of time but no jumping penalties. Kevin and Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend are clear through fence 26.

8:52 am: Here’s Maxime Livio and Vitorio Du Montet on course now and with some fancy footwork to get the angled brush at 5a after the steep downhill. We had hoped to see Maxime at Maryland with this horse this year, but they had to reroute here to Pau after the horse’s pre-export bloodwork came up positive for a tick-borne disease  for which USDA APHIS has a strict no-import policy.

8:49 am: We have two new riders on course now: Alice Casburn with Topspin, who are currently through fence 19, and fresh out of the box are Australia’s Kevin McNab with Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend — they’re ones to watch as they sit on a 26.2 in 5th place after dressage.

8:46 am: Regis Prud Hon and Tarastro picked up a stop at 27B — same spot at Alisa — and then they’re red flagged and pulled up as they enter the arena before the lest few fences. That will mean elimination. Perhaps the ground jury thought the horse looked too tired.

8:42 am: Whoops, we have a bit of catching up to do on finishers here. Sidney Dufresne and Swing De Perdriat are home with 4.8 time penalties. That will drop them down the headboard a smidge. I’m pretty sure we also saw Arthur Duffort finish, however the scoreboard is reading that they were eliminated after fence 28.

8:38 am: Tarastro is a bit stick dropping into the first water for Regis Prud Hon and scrambles bit over the brush swan, losing both overreach both. Doesn’t look like they’ve lost too much confidence though and they’re continuing on strongly.

8:37 am: Another couple riders are out on course now: Arthur Duffort with Toronto D’aurois and Regis Prud Hon with Tarastro.

8:34 am: Alisa and Woodlands Persuasion are home now. I’ve accidentally neglected to mention that Sidney Dufresne and Swing De Perdriat have been on course for a while now — clear through fence 28 and nearing home. This is a round to watch too as the pair was 8th after dressage.

8:31 am: Dang — Alisa picks up a stop with Woodlands Persuasion at 27B, a smaller element on top of a mound. Our commentators think it may be a little confusing to the horses because the fence almost looks like a decoration since it’s not 5-star sized. Woodlands Persuasion just didn’t quite read it.

8:28 am: Oh no! Danielle Dun and Grandslam pick up 20 penalties just before the finish at the combination in the arena. They took a huge jump at the 30A element and couldn’t make the B element and had to swing around and jump it again.

8:24 am: Clear so far still for both Danielle Dun and Grandslam as well as Alisa Wates and Woodlands Persuasion.

8:23 am: Heck of a round from Cyrielle Lefevre and Armanjo Serosah! They’re double clear and the horse looks like he’s ready to go around again!

8:20 am: Through the finish flags for Florian Ganneval and Blue Bird De Beaufour! They collect a bit of time in addition to those 11 penalties. Cyrielle is nearing the end of the course with Armanjo Serosah, who’s looking strong still at the end of the course. Danielle Dun and Grandslam are also on course now and clear through 15, and another five-star first-timer Alisa Wates and Woodlands Persuasion and just now out on course as well.

8:15 am: Whoops! Florian drops a MIM clip at 22A, but they recover well and jump the next easily.

8:13 am: We have another home team ride out on course now: Cyrielle Lefevre and Armanjo Serosah. So far so good for them!

8:11 am: Simon Grieve and Mr Fahrenheit — who’s a dang cute little chestnut, barely 16-hands — are home with no jumping faults but a over a minute over time. Simon looks absolutely thrilled with his little horse.

8:08 am: Also now on course are France’s Florian Ganneval and Blue Bird De Beaufour with a stylish and bold ride through fences 4 and 5ab — a drop fence to two angled brushes. Florian is a five-star first-timer and an amateur rider/ full-time farrier!

8:04 am: Both Simon Grieve and Mr Fahrenheit (clear through 19) and Jo Rimmer and Isaac Newton (clear through 10) are out on course now. Joesph comes home 5 seconds over time and jumping fault free.

8:01 am: William is home after giving Oratorio an unhurried ride over the final few fences in the arena. Bummer for that pair, but we’re sure to see them back at the top soon!

7:57 am: Joesph Murphy and Calmaro are our newest pair on course — they’re clear through fence 12. WPF and Oratorio are through the final water, still sitting on the 20 penalties from earlier.

7:56 am: We haven’t seen much of David Doel and Carneyhaugh Rua on the livestream, but hey! They’re home and under time! They aren’t going to be challenging the top of the leaderboard, but he’ll have to be happy with that round. We’ll see David again at the end of the day on his second ride,

7:53 am: Uh oh, WFP has a little bit of a hairy moment over that beautiful brush swan in the first water. Looked like they didn’t quite figure out a stride. They get over the swan fine, but later pick up 20 penalties at 10B.

7:52 am: Bubby is powering through end of the course — patting her horse on the long gallop before fence 29. They’re through the arena flawlessly and come in under time! Fabulous run from this exciting rider

7:49 am: Here goes William Fox Pitt and Oratorio out on course!

7:48 am: Turns out that Izzy decided to retire after fence 7a — we didn’t get to see her on the live stream again, so we’re not sure if she had another problem or just decided to save it for another day. David Doel and Carneyhaugh Rua are now on course as well and clear through fence 13. Bubby is clear through 26.

7:44 am: And Oliver and Ridire Dorcha are home! A masterful ride for this first-time five-star horse as they cross the line 11 seconds over time.

7:40 am: Isabelle “Bubby’ Upton is next on course with Cola. She’s an exciting up-and-coming British young rider with two very cool horses here at Pau this weekend.

7:37 am: Ah crud, an earlu problem for Izzy as Ringwood Madras runs out of the angled brush element at 5b.

7:35 am: Oliver and Ridire Dorcha are over halfway through the course and showing us all how it’s done. Izzy Taylor and Ringwood Madras are out of the box now.

7:30 am: And they’re off! Trailblazers Oliver Townend and Ridire Dorcha are on course!