Tim Price and Jarillo take Pau in 2025. Can they do it again in 2026? Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Our final CCI5* of the 2026 season is looming in just a few weeks, and we’re preparing to head to the south of France for Les 5 Étoiles de Pau — frankly one of the best places to end the season, if you ask us. This year’s event takes place October 22-25.
Our entry keeps with the theme of slightly lighter numbers this year at the five-star level, but in truth right on par with the field we saw at Pau in 2025. We also have another theme in this year’s field, which is the return of 2025 winners Tim Price (NZL) and Jarillo. Will a repeat be in the cards for them? It’s been happy hunting grounds for them; they finished ninth in 2024 in the horse’s first five-star, and while this year’s been light while Tim focused on things like the summer’s World Championships, he’s retained that competitive form at his FEI starts leading up to Pau. A “three-phase freak” is what EN’s Tilly Berendt called Jarillo last year, a horse certainly worth an eye for upcoming championships like LA in 2028 (he’s 12 this year, so 14 for LA). Tim also returns with Happy Boy, fourth at this event last year, as well as Garcon, stepping up to the level for the first time.
Julie Wolfert and SSH Playboy. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Tom Jackson and Plot Twist B, second at Pau in 2025, also return for another shot this month, 15th at Kentucky this spring. Boyd Martin will be the only podium finisher who isn’t returning this year, but the USA is represented by five-star first-timers Alexa Gartenberg and Cooley Kildaire as well as Julie Wolfert and SSH Playboy. Hallie Coon also joins the list with her four-star winner Kapriccio.
A few other former winning riders also join us at Pau, including 2022 winner Jonelle Price (entered with that winning horse, Grappa Nera, as well as her WOrld Championships horse Senor Crocodillo and Capitaine de Hus Z) and 2019 winner Tom McEwen (entered with five-star debutant Quintus).
The current list of competitors can be found in full here.
Pau also has its own in-house livestream that you’ll be able to use to access all of the content you can stand, both live from France as well as on demand. The subscription costs about $30 USD and was a great experience for us to use last year. You can access and subscribe to Pau TV here.
Les 5 Étoiles de Pau (France): [Website] [Entries] [Pau TV] [EN’s Coverage]
