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‘Lion’ of a horse holds his nerve at windswept Pau as Emily King takes pole position after dressage
The Pau dressage leaderboard has a late shake-up as riders from three nations settle on the podium on the eve of cross-country, and last year’s champion makes a good start to defending his title
Emily King and Valmy Biats produced “one of the best tests we’ve ever done” to score 24.9 and top the Pau Horse Trials dressage results.
The 2026 Luhmühlen runners-up opened their performance with a string of nines for their entrance and halt, and the marks rarely dipped below seven throughout. They scored another nine for the extended canter from the judge at C, James Rooney.
“Valmy was brilliant,” Emily said. “He’s been here a few times and he’s 17 years old so he knows the drill.
“He felt fabulous. We call him a lion at home because he has a big, bushy mane and he’s a big, bushy character and so powerful, but he’s actually really sensitive to ride.
“I find it a hard balance of showing him off without letting it go too wild. I felt like finally I got it perfect today.”
Even the walk – which Emily said “is always fragile; he finds it hard” – drew an eight and 7.5s from the ground jury.
“We call him a lion because he has a big, bushy mane and is so powerful”
EMILY KING ON VALMY BIATS
Pau – like most of western Europe – has been buffeted by rain and wind today.
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“The wind picked up which made it a fragile atmosphere but he stayed very stable and did everything I asked,” Emily added. “I always have him in the thicker fly bonnet to help with any sound. What was nice is that the warm-up is more open but the grandstand helps shelter the arena.
“But Valmy’s so good, even if a flower pot blew over, he’s such a sweetheart he’d probably stay straight.”
Last year, Emily fell off at the second fence across country, so she’s on something of a redemption mission.
“I’ll try to go quick and clear but ultimately the main thing is to look after him – he means the world to me,” she says. “The course last year caused so many problems and I thought I could go into the lead if I went quick enough, and I went a bit too quick.
“He’s so brave but it’s that balance of being quick but smooth. He’s a hard horse to ride cross-country – he’s strong but his neck comes in and his body keeps on going! He’d jump the moon, bless his cotton socks, it’s about getting his heart rate down so he can breathe and concentrate. ”
Last year’s Pau winners back for more
The defending champions Tim Price and Jarillo score 25.7
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
The 2025 Pau championsTim Price and Jarillo made a great start in the defence of their title. The 11-year-old gelding – owned by Lucy Allison, Frances Stead and James and Rachel Good – lies less than a penalty behind Valmy Biats in second, on a score of 25.7.
“He was really rideable,” said Tim. “He’s had this talent, I imagine, since he was born, it’s been about curating it. Today I felt like we were close to doing a pretty spot-on job.”
The French judge at H, Laure Eslan, put them in first place.
The last time Jarillo was performing in this arena was in front of a cheering crowd in the prize-giving. But he settled beautifully to his task, as if knowing the job in hand.
“For all his quirks and sharpness, he loves attention, loves people patting him and taking photos – so that was a positive memory for him,” Tim said.
Jarillo is extremely horse-shy, and Tim related how the big screen “freaked him out” in the arena familiarisation.
“The field of play has always been a relaxing place for him, because there are no other horses. The [five-star] environments suit him. But it’s my job to hug him as he comes to me for support. If I just sat there passively in those moments, he’d feel even more alone.”
“For all his quirks, he loves attention, people patting him and taking photos”
But Sébastien Cavaillon’s score of 28.1 on Elipso De La Vigne moved him into a podium position at the end of the day, relegating Tom and Yas to fourth and fifth respectively.
Despite his position, Sébastien was a touch disappointed with his mark. A mistake in the flying change in the warm-up put him on edge.
“That made me a little stressed, but he did his best in the arena – the ground today is like glue,” he said. “Normally, Elipso can score much better – from 23 to 26 – and today one judge definitely didn’t like me!”
French rider Sébastien Cavaillon gives the home crowd reason to cheer with his third-placed test on Elipso De La Vignes
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Two judges placed him third while the C judge, James Rooney, put him down in 12th.
Sébastien is riding two half-brothers in Pau, 12-year-old Elipso – by Nick Skelton’s ride Arko III – and his three-year younger brother Hashtag De La Vigne (26th).
“They both love food and cuddles,” said Sébastien. “But to ride they are absolutely different. Elipso has more power and balance, but Hashtag has something else – his best asset is his head; he wants to please me all the time.”
Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
