A whopping fourteen of the first twenty places at the 34th edition of the 5 Etoiles de Pau went to GBR riders! Having made the top three following Saturday’s epic cross-country test, Caroline Harris, Rosalind Canter and Tom McEwen all rode a clear round in the final day of the competition. The dynamic duo demonstrating once again that they totally master their discipline.
At 34 years old, Caroline Harris was competing in the second CCI5*-L of her young career, making her performance even more exceptional. After the weekend’s performance, the horse-rider pair ends the season with three fantastic (and sizeable) international victories.
“He was bred to just be a happy hack hunter and he came to me and he’s just going on and on and on. I didn’t think he’d ever be more than a 3* horse, and just look at him now. He was ready to go again, he’s 80% thoroughbred, so skipping through the ground yesterday took nothing out of him – he’s an out-and-out trier, and I love him to bits.” said Caroline of her ride, D Day.
Rosalind Canter, back to defend her title at the 5 Etoiles de Pau with Izilot DHI, missed a second victory by just 0.3 points. Her compatriote Tom McEwen, who won in Pau in 2019, came 2nd in 2021 and 3rd in 2023, added a new podium to his impressive track record in Pau, for his 9th 5* here.
“I absolutely love coming here, my horses always seem to enjoy it and it’s a great event for my family too.” Said Ros.
“He [Izilot DHI] will have a very well-deserved holiday, he’s been up and running for a very long time this year, so very much looking forward to him getting home and having some time in the field. Sometimes he makes me feel a little nervous riding him at home, so I’m quite looking forward to having a break from him too, so that’ll be nice. Then I’m not sure about next year yet, but hopefully some more 5* on the cards.” she continued.
Rosalind Canter (GBR) & Izilot DHI (photo: Laura Dupuy)
Chinese rider Alex Hua Tian, gold-medallist in the individual competition at the last Asian Games, came in at a wonderful 4th place for his first time in the Béarn region. American rider Boyd Martin completed the top five with Fedarman B, the horse he rode for the Paris Olympics (where he ranked 10th in the individual competition). Already the best-ranked French rider after the cross-country test yesterday, Luc Château, a rider from the Loir-et-Cher, made an excellent comeback, riding a clear show-jumping round with Cocorico de l’Ebat, to finish 14th in the ranking.
This edition of the 5 Etoiles de Pau ended in the comforting warmth of the autumn sun, after two days of incessant rain. “In spite of the weather, the spectators were there right through to the end” enthused Pascal Sayous, Director of the event.
“The 400 volunteers and technical teams did an incredible job. Thanks to them and to the collective efforts of everyone involved in the adventure, we were able to maintain the event despite the adverse conditions.
In terms of sport, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports worked closely with the orgaisation committee to determine what needed to be done for the cross-country test to go ahead. Behind the scenes of an event this size is an incredible amount of work, tons of energy and countless human resources. It just goes to show how fantastic the teams working with us are and I’m so proud of them.”
The attendance figures stood at around 40,000 visitors over the four days of the event, despite the wet, grey conditions on Saturday. The riders know that they will always have a loyal spectatorship in Pau, where equestrian enthusiasts are present year-on-year to spur them on. With its high-quality shows, top-level sports – including the horse-ball tournament won by the French team – and entertainment for all the family, the 5 Etoiles de Pau is a long-standing feature of the sports season in the Béarn, and an exceptional showcase for the region before an extremely international public.
Save the date from 23rd to 26th October 2025 for a new edition of the 5 Etoiles de Pau.
Feature image: Caroline Harris (GBR) & D. Day (photo: Laura Dupuy)
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.