Bettina Hoy led from start to finish with Ringwood Cookatoo in the four star competition at Les Etoiles de Pau. And the win propelled her up the HSBC FEI Classics standings to fifth place winning $25,000, in addition to her EUR32,000 first prize.
Bettina said: “I am thrilled to have won Les Etoiles de Pau especially as Ringwood Cookatoo had an injury earlier this year. I am also especially pleased to have finished in fifth place in the HSBC FEI Classic Series in its inaugural year — it is a marvellous bonus.”
It was a second four-star victory for the 17-year-old grey gelding Ringwood Cockatoo, who also won at Luhmuehlen in 2005, as well as picking up a world team gold medal in 2006 and individual European bronze last year.
Bettina was handed some useful leeway by her husband Andrew Hoy, who dropped from second place to sixth with four fences down on Moonfleet. She lived dangerously, however, incurring four faults for a fence down and four time penalties to take her within 0.5 penalties of the eventual runner-up, Nicholas Touzaint on Tatchou.
Second place saw Nicolas move up to second place in the HSBC FEI Classics Series, behind William Fox-Pitt, who finished 13th on Idalgo at Pau, but had sufficient lead to claim the $150,000 first prize cheque.
Germany’s Frank Ostholt also improved his position in the HSBC FEI Classics Series by finishing third on Mr Medicott and seventh on Little Paint, who jumped one of only two clear rounds over Pau’s notoriously technical final jumping phase. He now moves up to third in the series, overtaking Australia’s Phillip Dutton, who is now fourth.
The other clear round in the show jumping came from Mary King on Call Again Cavalier, who moved up from 12th to 8th.
The event was unfortunately marred by the death of Zara Phillips’ horse Tsunami II, after a fall on the cross-country course. Zara suffered a broken collarbone.
Pau final results
1. Bettina Hoy (Ringwood Cockatoo, GER) 33.7 + 7.2 + 4/4 = 48.9
2. Nicolas Touzaint (Tatchou, FRA) 45.4 + 0 + 4 = 49.4
3. Frank Ostholt (Mr Medicott, GER) 48 + 0 + 4 = 52
4. Andrew Nicholson (Henry Tankerville, NZL) 47.2 + 2.8 + 2/8 = 60
5. Ruth Edge (Mayhem lll, GBR) 45.2 + 6 + 1/8 = 60.2
6. Andrew Hoy (Moonfleet, AUS) 40.9 + 1.6 + 1/20 = 63.5
7. Frank Ostholt (Little Paint, GER) 42.8 + 28.8 + 0 = 71.6
8. Mary King (Call Again Cavalier, GBR) 42.6 + 34 + 0 = 76.6
9. Pascal Leroy (Glenburny de Leou, FRA) 50.6 + 2.8 + 24 = 77.4
10. Joanna May (Faere Vision, GBR) 46.5 + 26.4 + 2/4 = 78.
HSBC FEI Classics standings
1. William Fox-Pitt (GBR) US$ 150,000;
2. Nicolas Touzaint (FRA) US$ 75,000;
3. Frank Ostholt (GER) US$ 50,000;
4. Phillip Dutton (USA) US$ 33,000;
5. Bettina Hoy (GER) US$ 25.000
