Last year’s Pau winners, Ros Canter and Izilot DHI, kick-started their 2024 campaign with a 19 dressage test to put them firmly in the lead after day two of dressage. It was the second best score of their career, almost a point better than two months ago at the CCI5* in Burghley.
Ros said: “He’s a real professional now. I was really pleased with his balance and his medium trots because he’s got quite a narrow wheelbase and so sometimes he feels a little bit young and wobbly in those, but today he felt really stable and in balance. I know he wants to do the job for me. The ground conditions [of the cross-country] will definitely put a question mark in my mind.”
Brits fill seven of the top 10 spots; Emily King pulled off a fine performance with Valmy Biats, taking second place. Last to start on his third horse Cooley Rosalent, Oliver Townend finished joint second.
Yesterday’s overnight leader Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality are now in fourth with Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ in sixth. Selina Milnes and Cooley Snapchat fill eighth, with Piggy March and Halo in tenth spot.
Read the current standings here
Cross-country start list can be found here
A modified cross-country course
In order to guarantee the safety and well-being of horses and riders, the event management, in agreement with track manager Pierre Michelet and sporting director Guillaume Blanc, has decided to modify the cross-country course scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, from 11.30am. Three obstacles – Nos. 17, 28 and 29 A – have been removed, while the route between obstacles 9 and 10 has been modified. A meeting will be held tomorrow morning to decide on any further changes, always with the aim of preserving the integrity of the athletes.
Schedule
Saturday 26 October
- 8am Opening to the public
- 8:45am-9am Pony Derby
- 10am-10:30am Andy Booth (ethology)
- 11:30am-5:30pm Cross country test CCI5*
- 5pm-6pm Horse sale
- 6:45pm-8:05pm Horse-ball
- 9pm Equestrian show « Compagnie Nadal »
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*
