While Tom McEwen (GBR) produced a fine test on the first day of dressage at Les 5 Étoiles de Pau, it was his compatriot Ros Canter, the title holder, who flew through the test riding, Izilot DHI who takes the lead.
The pair achieved their second best score of their career, almost a point better than two months ago at the CCI5* in Burghley (GBR).
“Dressage is never easy, I can tell you that. It’s always a challenge, have you done enough? have you done too much ? I thought that we’d probably done a little bit too much out there and he was a bit heavy on the rein, but then he lifted when he came in here and he heard the clapping from Boyd and then he was really really lovely to ride” said Ros of her ride.
A few moments earlier, the young Emily King had pulled off a fine dressage performance with her French horse Valmy Biats, taking second place. Last to start on his third (!) horse Cooley Rosalent, Oliver Townend – another member of GBR! – finished joint 2nd.
Emily spoke about horse, Valmy Biats, “My horse was so good! I’ve had him for a while now, and he’s just continued to get better and better. And I think it’s so nice that in this last year, he knows everything in the test now, and he’s so sensitive. As a young horse, he was learning stuff and he was such an overthinker, and then he’d go in and just get tense and strong because he tries so hard, but now I think he’s getting relaxed because he does just knows everything”.
While the English occupied seven of the top ten dressage places at Les 5 Étoiles de Pau, only the New Zealanders disturbed their harmony by taking 5th, 7th and 9th places thanks to Clarke Johnstone, Samantha Lissington and Tim Price. The best Frenchman is now Benjamin Massié. The 2024 French Champion placed his young Filao de Perle 26th, 12 points behind the leader.
A modified cross-country course
In order to guarantee the safety and well-being of everyone, horses and riders alike, the event management, in agreement with track manager Pierre Michelet and sporting director Guillaume Blanc, has decided to modify the cross-country course scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, from 11.30am.
Three obstacles – Nos. 17, 28 and 29 A – have been removed, while the route between obstacles 9 and 10 has been modified. A meeting will be held tomorrow morning to decide on any further changes, always with the aim of preserving the integrity of the athletes.
Oliver Townend on his first ride of the day, En Taro Des Vernier will be first out on the cross country course tomorrow, kicking off at 11:30am.
Feature image: Ros Canter (GBR) & Izilot DHI, credit Lucie Pecantet
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.