Incessant rain resulted in testing conditions across the country at Pau, causing a shift in the leaderboard. One rider to take advantage of the situation was Caroline Harris whose clear round aboard D Day saw her move from 22nd to 1st place.
Despite the rain, the hard work put in by the volunteers and technical teams ensured that the show could go on safely for the athletes – both horses and riders. Though nine fences were withdrawn owing to the adverse weather conditions, the course designed by Pierre Michelet was still more than worthy of a 5* eventing competition. Not one of the 71 horse-rider pairs managed to make it home within the time allocated to complete the 5,213 metres (just 9’09’’), and those that came the closest leaped up in the provisional rankings. Like New-Zealand rider Tayla Mason, who rode home in 9’35’’, moving up from 19th to 12th place, and Caroline Harris, who came in a second faster (9’34’’) and made the most astonishing comeback of the day, from 22nd to 1st place.
In the lead yesterday after the dressage test with Izilot DHI (the horse she rode to victory in the 2023 edition of the 5 Etoiles de Pau), Ros Canter, double Olympic Champion, managed to hold on to 2nd place, just a few tenths of a second behind the new leader. Tom McEwen, world no.1, stayed in the lead for most of the day, but ended finally in 3rd place after a nail-biting cross-country test.
Given the relatively small gaps in the provisional rankings, the final show jumping test scheduled for tomorrow from 3.00pm (local time) promises to be full of suspense. Victory should go to one of the top five pairs – four British riders and Chinese rider Alex Hua Tian.
The three leading riders commented:
Caroline Harris (GBR), 1st in the provisional ranking after XC test
“If I’m honest, I didn’t really want to run, because I was a bit scared about the ground, but I know the horse loves the mud. He ran really well at Lignières in the mud. So some friends of mine gave me a kick up the bottom so I would actually go, and he ran really well, he was perfect from start to finish. I didn’t know where the minute markers were, I just let him run and jump. He’s quite small and nippy so he doesn’t struggle with the mud at all and he finished full of running, he could have gone on for two more minutes. We’ll take the show jumping as it comes! Normally he’s a good jumper and I’ve just got to ride him well.”
Rosalind Canter (GBR), 2nd after XC test
“I felt that both my horses kept their ears pricked all the way round today and despite the challenging conditions, the mud was so wet that although it slowed them down, I didn’t actually feel that it sucked them up or delayed their jump, so I think they came out having had a very positive experience. Izilot hasn’t had a lot of chance to recover yet, but they’re looking perky in the stables and we’re so lucky to have such fantastic grooms who give them the most amazing care after the cross-country. I’m going to enjoy tonight first and foremost and try not to think too much about the show jumping before tomorrow. From last year’s experience the party is very good here so we’ll be heading there later. My mum said she’ll babysit, and tomorrow we’ll make a plan once we get through the trot up and we’ll see how the horse feels. My horse is a very good jumper, but it’ll probably be down to me to make it a good ride.”
Tom McEwen (GBR), 3rd after XC test
“It was quite hard to gauge how it was going to ride as I went so early, but I was one of the few people who really did want to run this morning when it was still raining and you could hear it on the lorry roof, so I was delighted. I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone at Pau to be able to hold it, and the efforts they made to shorten the course, and I actually think it created an incredible spectacle for the whole day and people rode brilliantly, so it’s been a great day for the sport even if it’s rained more than in England. Norris is awesome, I can let him go at his own rhythm, there were a few things I wanted to do and I should have ridden on my distances rather than riding on what I’d seen before, but we went out with no minute markers and you ride with feeling and try and get around. Norris is a bit different to Izilot, I think he’s got 24 hours before the trot-up so he’s got plenty of time to get back to himself. Like Ros was saying earlier, the ground was a bit more like soup so he actually finished brilliantly and he’s looking great now. I think the party seems to be the biggest problem with the show jumping tomorrow so we’ll have to try not to stay too late.”
Provisional ranking after cross-country can be found here
Sunday 27 October
- 9am Opening to the public
- 10am-11:20am Horse-ball
- 11:45am-12:30pm Horse Inspection CCI5*
- 1pm-2pm Horse sale
- 3pm-4:30pm Show jumping test CCI5*
- 4:45pm-5pm Romantic Love retirement ceremony / Gwendolen Fer (FRA)
- 5pm Prize giving ceremony CCI5*
Image by Laura Dupuy
