Tom McEwen’s ride Toledo De Kerser, who is in the lead at the final CCI5* of the European eventing season at Pau in the south of France, was asked to re-present at the final horse inspection this morning (Sunday, 27 October).
Tom looked surprised as the ground jury asked him to trot up the 12-year-old bay, a son of Diamant De Semilly owned by Fred and Penny Barker, Jane Inns and Ali McEwen, for a second time.
The ground jury at Les 5 Etoiles de Pau comprises Britain’s Tim Downes, Katrin Eichinger-Kniely from Austria and France’s Nathalie Carriere.
Toledo De Kerser, part of Britain’s gold medal-winning team at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, bounced down the trot-up strip on his re-presentation and was passed. The pair only added 0.8 of a cross-country time-fault to their leading dressage mark of 24.9 yesterday, and has 3.1 penalties in hand over second-placed Alexander Bragg and Zagreb, owned by Philip and Sally Ellicott, going into the final showjumping phase.
All the 27 horses presented for the veterinary inspection this morning — from an initial field of 42 — passed. Despite temperatures reaching 27 degrees during yesterday’s cross-country and a twisting, demanding 11 minutes 15 seconds track from course-designer Pierre Michelet, all looked fit and fresh.
The only withdrawals overnight are both of Gemma Tattersall’s rides, Jalapeño and Chilli Knight. Jalapeño, a 12-year-old chestnut mare, was in 13th place after incurring 20 penalties across country, and nine-year-old Chilli Knight was in 20th. Pau was a first CCI5* for both horses.
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The showjumping starts at 3pm French time. Britain has three horses in the top five; as well as Tom and Alex, both of whom are aiming for a first CCI5* victory, the reigning world champion Ros Canter is in fourth on Zenshera behind Australia’s Chris Burton (Quality Purdey).
The best-placed French rider is Matheiu Lemoine, ninth on Tzinga D’Auzay.
Check back later for a final update from Pau, plus full report in next week’s magazine (dated 31 October).
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A St Andrews’ graduate, Catherine joined Horse & Hound in 2002 and stayed for 11 years in a variety of roles until she went freelance in June 2013. She rejoined the team part-time in November 2016 as hunting editor. She pretty much lives on the hunting field or at the racecourse, but also loves eventing, as a journalist, press officer and competitor. She was H&H’s sole accredited journalist at the London Olympic Games and has reported from major race meetings and eventing, showjumping and dressage championships and shows round the world, and has hunted all over Britain and Ireland.
