Hector Payne and Dynasty at Les Etoiles de Pau 2022
Britain’s Hector Payne was one British rider who certainly impressed in 2022 with a podium finish in the CCI5* at Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA)
Hector and the 14-year-old gelding Dynasty added just 1.2 time penalties on cross country and 0.4 time in the show jumping to take third place behind winner, Jonelle Price on Grappa Nera and Karim Laghouag riding Triton Fontaine in second
Hector, who previously worked for William Fox-Pitt and took over the ride on Dynasty after William’s serious fall in 2015, completed his first Badminton Horse Trials (GBR) in 2022, his second CCI5* after competing at Le Etoiles de Pau (FRA) in 2020.
The intention to compete at Luhmuhlen in 2021 was side-lined when Hector broke his femur in a fall but the result at Pau in 2022 exceeded all of Hector’s expectations
“I’d come here with the ambition of getting a good result” said Hector “But I wouldn’t have expected to be in the top three!”
However, their final preparation for Pau a few weeks before at Little Downham International, where they took second place in the CCI4*-S, may have been a good indication of what was to come
