The brilliant performances of France’s three carriage drivers drove the team to the top of the CAIO 4*-H1 podium at the Pau 5* horse trials this weekend ahead of next years’ World Championship.
The four day Pau event not only features CAIO 4* driving, it also plays host to CCI5* eventing where many of the best-known eventers gather to what is one of only six 5* events in the world.
France pipped Germany and Netherlands to the post in the driving. The victory is said to be a good omen for next years’ World Championship, which will also take place in Pau, France, at the Domaine de Sers.
Fresh-faced to driving, France’s Fabrice Martin commented:
This win is a wonderful team victory! Everyone contributed to France coming out on top in this competition even though the scores were very close throughout the competition! We gave everything we had in the marathon and that’s what made the difference in the end. I came third in the individual tests and the marathon meant that I lost one place, but I’m sort of discovering this discipline as I don’t have much experience in carriage driving. I’ve only been driving my horse for three months so I can’t complain and I’m really happy with my third place.”
Anika Geiger from Germany spoke of ‘young girl power’:
It was a long way to travel from Germany to Pau, but it was well worth the effort: the competition was amazing. The team comprised three young female drivers, so our second place here is entirely thanks to” young girl power! ” In the marathon, there was a real challenge to negotiate in the two long water obstacles and that really put the horses to the test.”
In the individual ranking, Belgian champion Laure Philippot finished in first place, in front of Dutch carriage driver Rudolf Pestman and French driver Fabrice Martin.
Laure Philippot (BEL):
I was first in the dressage test and managed to hold my lead with two clean sweeps in the cones competition. In the marathon, which isn’t really my strong point, I did my utmost to keep my first place, and I made it! We’ve had a great season this year and we’re going to work hard this winter to prepare for the next one. There weren’t any specific difficulties in the marathon, it was a pretty fast course apart from a mound which caused a few problems. ”
I was already here last year for the Pau 5* eventing competition, and I came back this year. I wanted to end the season better than it had started with my horse’s injury. I love the Pau competition, even if we have to drive 1500 kilometres to get here from home…”
Pascal Sayous, organiser of the Pau 5-Star event
- Laure Philippot during the individual dressage. Image copyright Nicolas Hodys
