View our full photo gallery from Thursday at Pau here
William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk will be the last to go in the CCI4*
The world number one eventing rider William Fox-Pitt is back at Pau with Seacookie and Parkhill Hawk and, with a somewhat limited line-up of experienced 4* campaigners in the field, these two would have to be the favourites. Les Etoiles de Pau, set at the foot of the French Pyrenees, is the first leg of the 2014/15 FEI Classics season and William claimed not only the win at Pau last year on Seacookie but also the 2013/14 Series which culminated at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.
The winner of Burghley and world number two, New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson only recently pulled out of competing at the French 4*. He was to ride Qwanza but decided that the 11 year old bay mare, which has had 12 months off, was ‘just not quite fit enough’
“It’s disappointing to finish the season like this, but there is not much point in going there if the horse is not 100%,” “We’ll miss this, write the year off and start afresh next year.”
For another Kiwi rider, Jonelle Price, this is her first time at Pau and she is riding one of several horses here having their first 4* start. Jonelle is riding Faerie Dianimo (above), winner of the CIC3* at Blenheim this year and she has high hopes for the feisty mare “She’s a talented little horse but is only nine so it is a tall order for her, however, she has demonstrated that she definitely has the ability. She’s a tough and gutsy little mare.”
Jonelle is joined by Jock Paget who is competing two horses; Shady Grey, at his first 4* start and Kilcoltrim Ambassador who has competed at Pau with his previous rider Lucy Jackson.
Jock Paget with Shady Grey (above) and Francis Whittington with West Side (below)
10 countries are represented in the field of 35 in the CCI4*. Joining William from Britain are some well-known names such as Pippa Funnell, Nicola Wilson and Francis Whittington. Pippa has brought both Redesigned and Mirage d’Elle while Nicola Wilson is riding another 4* first-timer One Two Many who was previously campaigned by Australia’s Bill Levett. Francis recently won his first ever CCI3* at Blenheim but he is here on a less experienced horse, West Side that has previously had a sixth place at Boekelo CCI3* with Piggy French and more recently a ninth at Burnham Market CIC3* with Francis.
Ireland has Joseph Murphy with his two top class Irish Sport Horses Electric Cruise, the horse he competed in Normandy as part of the fifth placed Irish Team, and Sportsfield Othello. Joining him is Allan John Nolan riding Bronze Flight (above) and Austin O’Connor on Fernhill Rockstar.
Another Fernhill horse (and they seem to be everywhere at the moment) is Fernhill Quality Street ridden by Australia’s Kevin McNab and owned by Ruth Honey. This horse did not come out of a chocolate box but is by OBOS Quality, as Ruth explained to us last year . Kevin is also riding another of Ruth’s horses in the CIC2*, Fernhill Now or Never
Kevin McNab and Fernhill Quality Street
American rider Clark Montgomery will be hoping for better luck at Pau than he had in Boekelo where he incurred 20 penalties for a disputed run out at the very last fence when he was leading after the dressage. This time Clark will be riding the 13 year old Universe
The number of entries may be down this year and a few usual faces not present but in some ways this can make it more exciting as new combinations move up to the plate. However there can be no doubt that Mr Fox-Pitt is the one to beat on either of Catherine Witt’s talented horses and he is the second and last rider in the dressage arena on Friday and Saturday
View every fence on the CCI4* course at Pau in our cross country course walk here
