Tim Price and Jarillo emerged the back-to-back winners of Pau Horse Trials 2026, with fabulous performances in all three phases. Bubby Upton finished runner-up with Its Cooley Time, ahead of Jonelle Price on Senor Crocodillo.
Second after dressage, the defending champions moved up to the overnight lead with a fast cross-country clear. Jarillo rattled a pole in the final phase, but the rail landed back in its cups for an outstanding double win.
“I’ve never won two five-stars on any horse,” said Tim, for whom this was a seventh victory at the highest level. “It’s not easy to win any of these events and Pau is a tricky place.
“It took some winning – to hold everyone off because there were so many people in the mix at the end. I’m not getting any younger – who knows how long I’ll carry on doing it – and it’s just a treasure.
“Jarillo is such a class horse; he’s been feeling a million dollars and he makes my job easy to pilot him around.”
Jarillo – who is owned by Lucy Allison, Frances Stead and James and Rachel Good – came into Pau with an outstanding showjumping record, especially on the last day. He had a clean sheet in all his seven international long-format runs.
But two down at Luhmühlen CCI4*-S earlier this season ensured this would be a nailbiter right to the very end.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Pau winner: the final phase
Unlike last year, when the top 10 were covered by one rail and the placings were constantly shifting, this year the overnight top five all showjumped clear to maintain their placings under thick drizzle.
One rail would drop Tim out of the top three. First his wife Jonelle secured a Price podium finish from third with the Giannamores’ Crocodillo, before Bubby heaped even more pressure on Tim with another smashing clear with her “freak of nature” Its Cooley Time. Their runner-up position is the best of Bubby’s five-star career so far.
“I tried to muck Jarillo up today but he wasn’t have a bar of it,” laughed Tim, referring to a slightly off distance to an oxer, which he rubbed.
“Sometimes he runs away from certain things and I have to hold his hand, but he looked after me today. He looked at the screen and I didn’t help him as much as I should, but he tried so hard.
“I had faith in him. I was a bit tight and I know I ride better when I’m relaxed – although I look relaxed, I’m pedalling underneath.”
The Price monopoly
It was a sublime performance from the winner, but the entire Price team had a weekend to remember.
The team’s Herculean efforts in bringing six horses to Pau reaped dividends. The organiser Pascal Sayous joked that he’d “never paid out such a big cheque” to one family.
Heading in the showjumping phase, the Prices had four in the top six after superb cross-country performances: the leader Jarillo; third, Senor Crocodillo; fourth, Happy Boy; and sixth, Grappa Nera, who had shot up thanks to her pathfinding fast clear from 40th.
As well as Crocodillo’s third, Jonelle also wound up eighth with Grappa Nera and ninth with Capitaine De Hus, who lowered a rail apiece. Three top-10 placings is a result to savour.
Jonelle Price and Senor Crocodillo finish third – the best of the rider’s three top-10 placings
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
“Crocodillo comes into this phase with a really good record on the last day,” said Jonelle of the grey who wears a hood to showjump. “In some ways that makes it harder because it’s getting to the point where he’s jumped so many clear rounds that you almost feel more pressure.
“But as soon as I jumped a couple of fences, I thought ‘he’s on’ – he’s just so reliable and a pleasure to ride today.”
Tim also logged a clear with Susan Lamb, Therese Miller and his own Happy Boy – jumping out of order – to secure fourth place and a settling of the nerves before his final round.
“When Happy Boy’s cool, he’s really cool,” said Tim. “Maybe he likes autumn too. Whatever it is, he a really fun horse and he’s been exceptionally good this week.”
Full story on Bubby Upton and other Brits to follow
Pau winner and top 10
Tim Price/Jarillo (NZL) 30.9
Bubby Upton/Its Cooley Time (GBR) 32.9
Jonelle Price/Senor Crocodillo (NZL) 34.6
Tim Price/Happy Boy (NZL) 35.9
Tom McEwen/Quintus (GBR) 36.6
Lizzie Baugh/Piltown Concorde (GBR) 43.8
Willa Newton/Hartacker (GBR) 44.6
Jonelle Price/Grappa Nera (NZL) 46.4
Jonelle Price/Capitaine De Hus (NZL) 50.5
Sofia Sjöborg/Bryjamolga VH Marienshof Z (SWE) 50.9
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.
