Ros Canter leads Pau CCI5* after day one of dressage

The traditional horse inspection marked the start of the first day in the 5* competition. Only 48 horse-rider pairs made it to the start list for this year’s CCI5*L in Pau, as English rider Timothy Cheffings did not present his horse, and American rider Caroline Martin decided not to present Islandwood Captain Jack a second time, after the horse was sent to the holding box by the judges.

Australia’s Kevin McNab and Willunga passed and are set to be the first in the arena on the second day of dressage.

Dressage day one: a foretaste of the upcoming tests

On the first day of the competition, the first seventeen competitors performed their dressage tests. The provisional ranking comes as no surprise to seasoned spectators. Multi-medallist (Olympic, World and Europe) Rosalind Canter on Rehy Royal Diamond took the lead with a very aesthetic test, scoring 27.5 points. Her compatriot Tom McEwen, was the first rider to perform the dressage test on his first horse BraveHeart B, and ranked a close second. World number two Jonelle Price (NZL) completes the podium with a well-performed test, despite Grappa Nera’s slight faults in the canter.

French rider Gireg Le Coz on Aisprit de la Loge came in fourth with 30.4 points, a slight disappointment for this horse-rider pair, who were doubtless expecting a better test after their win at the CCI4*-S in Lignières a month ago, where they finished with a score of 28.2 points. The remaining French riders were no less disappointed. The three riders had difficulties keeping their horses calm in the main arena at the Domaine de Sers, but everything is still possible as the thirty-one other horse-rider pairs are yet to perform their dressage tests tomorrow.

Gireg Le Coz, the best French rider (4th) in the provisional ranking, comments on his test:

“My horse felt great at the warm up and in the arena. Aspirit was very relaxed and performed well, but he made a few unusual mistakes for him which unfortunately penalized us today. I came to Pau full of ambitions and I’m slightly disappointed with the start of the competition, even if I know that the final outcome is not set in stone at the end of the dressage tests.”

Keep your eye on these riders in Friday’s dressage tests (local times):

10:00 a.m. Australian rider Kevin McNab and Willunga
10:35 a.m. British rider Harry Meade and his French-born mount Tenareze (the horse won the FEI WBFSH World Championship for young horses, ridden by Thomas Carlile in 2017).
11:16 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The two Japanese riders Kazuma Tomoto and Ryuzo Kitajima.
11:37 a.m. horse-rider pair Karim Florent Laghouag and Triton Fontaine, the horse-rider pair who won the bronze medal at the team event at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
15:44 Mollie Summerland and Charly Van Ter Heiden, winners of the Nations Cup at the Haras du Pin in August this year.

Provisional ranking (after day 1 of dressage):