Three horses have left the five-star competition following the Pau Horse Trials final trot-up this morning (29 October) – while two British and one Irish horse were sent to the holding box.
British rider Selina Milnes withdrew William Rucker’s 12-year-old gelding Gelmer before the inspection. The pair had been in 36th following the cross-country.
The ground jury of Nikki Herbert (Britain), Helen Christie (New Zealand) and Emmanuelle Olier (France), sent Just Kidding, the ride of New Zealand’s Muzi Pottinger, to the holding box. On re-inspection, the 17-year-old gelding – owned by Muzi and her parents – was eliminated. The pair were lying in 13th after the cross-country.
Master Point, the 10-year-old ride of Ireland’s Ian Cassells, was sent to the holding box, as were British horses Heartbreaker Star Quality, the 12-year-old ride of Libby Seed, and India Wishart’s 17-year-old mount Diamond Sundance. All three were accepted on reinspection.
Another horse withdrawn before the trot-up was Z, the ride of USA’s Phillip Dutton. The 15-year-old gelding, owned by Evie Dutton, Ann Jones, Suzanne Lacy and Caroline Moran, was in 22nd overnight.
Pau Horse Trials final trot-up: 34 progress
The other 34 cross-country finishers were all passed by the ground jury, and will progress to the final stage of the competition. British riders hold the top seven places with Ros Canter and Izilot DHI heading the leaderboard on 27.5. Tom McEwen and JL Dublin are currently second on 31.1, and Kirsty Chabert and Classic VI third on 33.4.
The showjumping has been delayed by 30 minutes, and will now start at 3pm local time (2pm British time).
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
