Délicieux with garlic and butter. Photo via CrossCountry App.
Bonjour mes amis eventing. We’re comin’ at ya from the final 5* of the year (boo 👻) with all the fun and frolics from the French offering live on cross country day at Les 5 Étoiles de Pau.
So far there’s been plentiful talk about the weather – promising to be wet – and reminiscing of years gone by when rubber boots were more appropriate than shoes even with the biggest studs out on cross country. Alas, the only thing to be done when it’s raining is to let it rain, and so we will continue with proceedings accordingly, zip up our waterproof coats to the very top, and get on with the job at hand. Unless of course you’re enjoying our outdoor sport from indoors, living vicariously via this live blog. Whatever the weather, we’re here for it.
We know that Saturday’s a day when the leaderboard tends to get shook up like a Boggle cube, but before the shaking commences, here’s a look at the podium as things stand following the dressage phase:
1️⃣ 🇬🇧 Top of the class between the white boards was Emily King and Valmy Biats who laid it all down and then some in the dressage ring to sit on a score of 24.5, 1.2 penalties ahead of the rest of the field – in cross country terms, that’s three seconds.
2️⃣ 🇳🇿 Chasing the top spot is Tim Price and Jarillo who made light work of the test for a score of 25.7.
3️⃣ 🇫🇷 Rounding out the podium placings after the first phase is Sebastien Cavaillon and Elipso de la Vigne who made their mark on the competition with a score of 28.1.
🇺🇸 Best of the US is Tiana Coudray and Cancaras Girl who sit in equal 5th place on a score of 28.9.
You’ll find the full scoreboard right here.
In a water tower town… Photo via CrossCountry App.
Alongside the galloping and jumping action, the track promises to throw up a veritable smorgasbord of treats. If you’re watching on Pau TV (with one eye firmly locked onto the live blog – and a finger on your refresh button), might I suggest a friendly round of décor bingo, if you will? It sure is spooksville out there with a festive and frankly strange bunch of stuff to spot: a bit chilly for it, to be honest, but who’s up for ice-cream? More appropriate for the season there’s a Jack o’lantern in a goblet lurking with a mean red-eyed arachnid while a full-on skeleton reclines in the fence, and looking ahead, a Nutcracker’s on jump judge duty and a sled’s ready to sleigh. For the animal offering this year: prancing ponies on poles; delicious, if you’re into that kinda thing, l’escargot; a flock of curious-looking sheep; a horned dairy cow; the head of a duck; a bear and some bugs, and swans on the sand. Oh Pau, please never ever change.
Welcoming competitors to fence 25, a bear behind. Photo via CrossCountry App.
The bingo live blog will begin when the first horse and rider leave the start box, so while we wait for starter’s orders, some links for your perusal:
▶️ Catch up with Tilly’s reports on what went down in the dressage: [Thursday] [Friday]
▶️ For all the deets you need to know, including schedules, fast facts, how to watch and so much more, check out EN’s Ultimate Guide.
▶️ Have a gander at what the horses and riders will be facing out on course today – fences and festivities – courtesy of CrossCountry App.
▶️ As you know, here at EN we are never happier than when we’re befriending the owls and up with the larks to deliver the goods to you, fellow eventing nerds. You’ll find all of our Pau shenanigans here.
With all that said, a little ‘refresher’ on the no. 1 rule of following EN’s classic live blog: refresh, refresh, refresh – and all will be revealed.
If you’re catching up with this later and are the type to like things in order, scroll ⬇️ and read ⬆️. If going backwards is more your jam, have at it.
We’re counting down to kick off… Jonelle Price will get the day going with the first of her three rides, previous Pau winner Grappa Nera – they’re due to go at noon CET / 6am ET.
Baguettes at the ready – Allez eventing!
Les Etoiles de Pau: Website | Entries + Live Scoring | Live Stream | EN’s Coverage
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6:27am
NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇫🇷 Sebastien Cavaillon and Hashtag de la Vigne
Dressage Score: 34
Place: 26=
First up for France, expect wild support for this pair.
Oh, sadly things don’t go to plan for them. They have a miss at the skinny triple brush into the water at 9b and canter on past. They come back round though and continue on. Things look to be back on track as they jump through the picture frame at 10 to the claps from the crowd and then there’s cheers as they make a really neat line up the step out of the water at 11a and then on over the angled brush shoulder at 11b.
We catch up with Felix at the double of cubes at 20, getting a really beautiful shot through there. Felix opts for the longer route at the water complex at 25, eating up some time with all the turning but ensuring a smooth ride.
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6:21am
NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇨🇭 Felix Vogg and Frieda
Dressage Score: 35.7
Place: 37
Felix is a two-time 5* champ but this is Frieda’s first outing at the level. Frieda looks up for it as she gallops out of the box and over the first couple of fences, she’s got her ears pricked and is really traveling and eating up the ground at the early stages of the course. Felix makes a really economical line to the brush shoulder after the step out of the water at 11, very smooth.
We rejoin Stephen as he clears the coffin complex at 17. The horse is careful over the oxer at 19. They’re not going for the time but the horse is really listening and has his ears pricked. He makes a lovely shape over the fences, a really great jump on this one. He has a tiny peek at the big ditch at 21 but flies on over. They come back to trot before coming off the big drop at 24a and then slid down the hill a little and Stephen does a great job of balancing the horse before the brush arrowhead at the b element. The horse stumbles a little on landing after the wide table at 26 but Stephen’s in balance and they gallop on towards home.
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6:17am
NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Stephen Heal and Hisco
Dressage Score: 34.8
Place: 34
This gelding’s lightly run and is making his 5* debut this week. We pick them up over the two angled brushes at 7 and 8, looking nicely together and like the horse is really listening to him. They’re very neat through the water at 9 and get a really lovely jump through the picture frame at 10. The horse puts in a clever little trot stride at the bottom of the big mound at 13 before cantering on up and popping the white gate on top at 13. They head on out to the racecourse and have a really fun jump over the hedge at 14. This horse really seems to be loving it out there.
Tim really has to ride through the big combination at 28, showing his horse the route through there. Impressive riding, of course. He comes into the main arena and over the swans at 30ab and then through the flags, 39 seconds over the time and showing as having a missed flag at 25C, the open corner at the final water, but that will be reviewed.
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6:14am
THIRD COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Izzy Taylor and Barrington Alice
Dressage Score: 33
Place: 17
Another rider with three in the field, Izzy brings forward her 5* debutant and joint-youngest horse in the field first.
Sadly Izzy’s round ends early when she picks up two refusals at 9b, the skinny triple brush going into the first water.
We pick Tim up as he’s nearing the end of his round, at the water complex at 25 and Garcon looks to be enjoying his first trip round a 5*.
We’re hearing from Jonelle that she had a fabulous ride (we concur) but that her other two rides are very different.
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6:13am
SECOND COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇳🇿 Tim Price and Garcon
Dressage Score: 35.2
Place: 35=
Chasing Jonelle round the track, Tim’s got three rides today. First up is 5* debutant, Garcon. Sadly we don’t see Tim on the live feed as it was focused on Jonelle as trailblazer but the live scoreboard is showing him as clear through fence 23. I’ll update you if/when we see him.
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6am
FIRST COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇳🇿 Jonelle Price and Grappa Nera
Dressage Score: 36
Place: 40
There’s no better trailblazer than multiple 5* winner Jonelle with previous Pau winner Grappa Nera, or Grape as she’s known to her pals. Let’s do this thang.
Grape gets a pat as Jonelle prepares to come into the box and away they go! The crowd at the first fence are in fine voice as a cheer goes up as cross country day gets underway. They come up to the new broken bridge fence at 4 and fly off the end, not even noticing the big ditch there. They opt for the left hand side of the related fence at 5 and then take the spooky wall at 6 well over to the right to set up for the pair of angled brushes at 7 and 8 and then a rollback turn to the first water complex at 9, which they splash through neatly.
They head back to the water for 11AB, making a beautiful line up the step and over the brush shoulder, which is on an acute angle. Total pro job, of course. She brings the mare back for the white gate on the big mound at 13 and then it’s pedal to the mettle as they head on out to the racecourse and fly the hedge at 14.
Grape is totally eating up this course. They come to the coffin complex at 17 and Grape’s pulling a little. She puts in a massive jump over the ditch at B and then is very neat over the skinny brush at the C element. So far so very, very good.
There’s claps and cheers from the crowd as she gallops towards the double of cubes at 20 – “C’mon Jonelle!”. They get a lovely line through the combination there and then keep the gallop going for the big ditch and brush at 21 before having to come right back for the white plank at 22. Their line through the water complex at 23 is *chef’s kiss”.
The live feed is focusing on Jonelle as trailblazer for now as she nears the end of the course. They’ve really made the track look super smooth. The claps continue from the appreciative crowd who’re out in force to support the sport today.
They come to the tricky combination at 28 and Grape really shows off her scope over through there before they gallop on into the main arena for the final combination at 30 over the two swans. They’re a little over the time as they come round to the finale and they finish up 16 seconds over the time. What a start to cross country day!
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