Eight horses were held at an eventful Pau Horse Trials first trot-up where a bumper field from 15 nations will contest the final CCI5* of 2024.
All 73 horses presented at this morning’s (24 October) horse inspection were accepted and will go forwards to the dressage, which starts at 1pm UK time (2pm local time) today. Find out how to watch Pau Horse Trials
Four horses from the strong British contingent were among the eight held. These included Piggy March’s ride Halo, owned by Jayne McGivern, an 11-year-old stallion who is making his five-star debut at Pau. The former Blenheim young horse championship winner sailed through on re-inspection.
D. Day, ridden by Caroline Harris, Storm Straker’s Fever Pitch, and Zara Tindall’s campaigner Class Affair were also held. All were given the nod of approval on their second appearance before the ground jury of James Rooney, Katarzyna Konarska and Emmanuelle Olier.
Quintera, a 12-year-old mare making her five-star debut with Belgium’s Wouter De Cleene, was the first of the eight horses to be held at the first Pau Horse Trials trot-up, before passing on re-inspection.
Bakar De L’Ocean LA, ridden by France’s Louis Seychal, Danish rider Sara Bech Strøm’s ride Dicte Aldrup, and Irish competitor Robbie Kearns’ first horse Ballyvillane OBOS were also held.
New Zealand’s Tayla Mason was asked to trot Centennial again and was accepted, without being sent to the holding box.
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Horses looked bright and fit in the cool morning light. Riders opted for smart autumnal fashion choices, with stylish co-ords, jackets and suits popular choices. Green hues featured strongly, from Emily King’s forest green dress, to Pippa Funnell’s beautiful bright blazer and Tom Rowland’s sage green-grey suit.
Thursday is an action-packed opening day at Pau Horse Trials, with nine of the 25 British combinations riding their dressage tests this afternoon.
Oliver Townend will kick off proceedings between the white boards, partnering the first of his three rides, John and Victoria Peace’s five-star debutant En Taro Des Vernier – a son of the eventing stallion Upsilon.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
