William Fox-Pitt Pau 4* winner Photo Kit Houghton/FEI
Australia finished with three combinations in the top ten at Les Etoiles des Pau CCI4* (FRA). Whilst victory slipped from Australia’s reach in the final phase, strong performances bode well ahead of London 2012. 30-year-old Christopher Burton (NSW) was leading the event going into the jumping phase on Jean and Jade Findlay’s Holstein Park Leilani. Breathing down his neck was the British eventing maestro William Fox-Pitt on Oslo. In third was fellow Australian, Clayton Fredericks on his up-coming star Bendigo. The jumping was proving to be extremely testing. Of the 50 horses that commenced the final phase only five jumped clear. Fox-Pitt clocked up eight rails on his first ride Macchiato, whilst Andrew Nicholson (NZL) racked up 22 penalties on veteran four-star ride Armada. Wendy Schaeffer, who is renowned as a Grand Prix showjumper as well as eventing rider, was having an excellent ride on the Adelaide 4* winner Koyuna Sun Dancer and looked to be set for a clear round when she had an uncharacteristic problem and fall at the plank fence Two rails for Fredericks and Bendigo dropped them to sixth, which is still a great result for this horse’s first CCI4*. Fox-Pitt and Oslo, sitting in second pulled off faultless round putting the pressure on Australia’s Burton. An experienced jumping rider and very capable in this phase Burton needed a clear round to stay in front. It wasn’t to be and three rails lowered the pair to eighth place and giving Fox-Pitt the 2011 Pau title, adding to his recent win at Burghley CCI4*. “We are very pleased with Leilani,” commented owner Jade Findlay, “whilst it was disappointing not to win after coming so close she showed that she can win a four-star test and go fast and clear cross-country. Unfortunately, she didn’t jump as well as usually does with Chris but that is horses.” Clayton Fredericks jumped a pleasing round on his second ride 12-year-old mare Dunge's Laurent Rose. Just one rail improved their position from thirteenth to ninth place. Dunge's Laurent Rose has now had two top ten CCI4* performances this year, having made an impressive four-star debut finishing fifth at Luhmühlen (GER). Fourth placed Andrew Nicholson (NZL) on Mr Cruise Control added just four penalties and rose to second place, whilst Fox-Pitt on Lionheart, his second of three horses, also added four faults which improved their position from sixth to third place in the final standings. Mary King (GBR) posted a clear round on Imperial Cavalier which improved her position by six places to fourth. Fox-Pitt on Oslo and Mary King on Imperial Cavalier were the only riders to finish the competition on their dressage scores.
Top Three HSBC Photo: Kit Houghton FEI
The additional points secured King’s victory in the 2011 HSBC FEI Classics Series and $US150, 000 prize money. King has been placed no lower than eighth at all five of the HSBC FEI Classics events this year, which is a remarkable achievement. She is the first woman to win the title since the series started in 2008 and has kept it in British hands for the fourth consecutive year. Fox-Pitt finished the series in second place, taking home $US 75,000. Andrew Nicholson and Clayton Fredericks both rocketed into the top five of the HSBC FEI Classics and will take home 50,000 USD and 25,000 USD respectively. “It’s great to win a major prize like this,” said King, who intends to spend the money on a new lorry. “We riders all work hard and do not always win a lot of prize money, so something like this makes you feel recognised as a sportsman when a multi-national company such as HSBC backs our sport. “Fate has played a part in all this. If I hadn’t fallen off Imperial Cavalier at Luhmühlen [in the HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships], I wouldn’t be winning this money here.”
Mary King HSBC Winner Photo:Kit Houghton/FEI
About the HSBC FEI Classics champion Mary King’s path to victory began with third place at Badminton on Imperial Cavalier. She followed this by winning Kentucky on Kings Temptress, a mare she bred herself (she was also second on Fernhill Urco). She was eighth in Luhmühlen on Apache Sauce, third at Burghley on Kings Temptress, and now fourth at Pau on Imperial Cavalier. King, 50, has represented Britain at 14 championships, including four Olympic Games, winning Olympic team silver and bronze (2004 and 2008), world team gold (1994 and 2010), team silver (2006), four European team golds, team bronze, plus individual bronze (1995) and silver (2007). King has won Badminton twice, in 1992 and 2000, and Burghley (1996). She is married to David, a farmer, and lives near Sidmouth, Devon. Her daughter, Emily, represented Great Britain at this year’s FEI Junior European Championships. About the Pau winner William Fox-Pitt, King’s team mate on many occasions, has won 46 CCIs, including 10 CCI4*s: Badminton (2004), Burghley a record six times (1994, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011), Luhmühlen (2008), Kentucky (2010) and Pau (2011). He is the only rider to have won five out of the world’s six CCI4*s. He has also represented Britain 15 times in championships, winning Olympic silver (2004) and bronze (2008), world team gold and individual silver on Cool Mountain (2010) plus team silver in 2006 and team bronze in 2002. He has six European team gold medals, team bronze and two individual silvers (1997 and 2005). Fox-Pitt, 42, is married to Alice, a television racing commentator. They live in Sturminster Newton, Dorset, and have two young sons, Oliver and Thomas. Oslo, a nine-year-old French-bred by Landou, was bought as a stallion and was only gelded in 2009. He is owned by a large syndicate, Fox-Pitt Eventing, nearly all of whom were out in Pau to witness their horse’s victory.
Final results Les Etoiles des Pau CCI4*
1 William Fox-Pitt/Oslo (GBR) 44.2 + 0 + 0 = 44.2
2 Andrew Nicholson/Mr Cruise Control (NZL) 46.2 + 0 + 4 = 50.2
3 William Fox-Pitt/Lionheart (GBR) 46.7 + 0 + 4 = 50.7
4 Mary King/Imperial Cavalier (GBR) 51.0 + 0 + 0 = 51.0
5 Nicolas Touzaint/Hildago de L’Ile (FRA) 46.3 + 1.2 + 4 = 51.5
6 Clayton Fredericks/Bendigo (AUS) 43.7 + 1.2 + 8 = 52.9
7 Lucy Wiegersma/Simon Porloe (GBR) 45.5 + 0.8 + 8 = 54.3
8 Christopher Burton/Holstein Park Leilani (AUS) 43.7 + 0 + 12 = 55.7
9 Clayton Fredericks/Dunge’s Laurenrose (AUS) 54.0 + 0 + 4 = 58.0
10 Frank Ostholt/Mr Medicott (GER) 47.3 + 0 + 11 = 58.3
Final Standings 2011 HSBC FEI Classics series can be viewed at http://www.fei.org/hsbc/hsbc-fei-classics William Fox-Pitt and Oslo
Mary King and Imperial Cavalier
