World Class Competition Underway at Pau CCI4*

At the end of the first day of Dressage Aussie Kevin McNab (Clifton Pinot) is not far off Fox-Pitt’s pace of 44.7 and is currently sitting in fourth position after scoring 50.2. Second place is occupied by Andrew Nicholson of New Zealand on 45.7 while Mary King of Great Britain is in third (47.7). 

Aussies Bill Levett (Hippolyte) and Chris Burton (Underdiscussion) will be in action later on Friday.

You can watch Cross Country and Show Jumping action live from Pau on FEI TV (www.feitv.org) the FEI’s official video channel, will be live from Pau:

Cross Country (27 October) - 12.45 CEST

Jumping (28 October) - 14.15 CET 

To subscribe to FEI TV click here.

More than 60 competitors from 17 countries are competing in this year’s event and with members of the gold, silver and bronze medal-winning teams at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the popular Pyrenees city wanting to gain a valuable early foothold on the HSBC FEI Classics Leaderboard, this weekend’s competition promises to be a close battle.

Germany’s Michael Jung, the first rider in history to hold Olympic, World and European titles simultaneously, heads a distinguished field with Leopin FST, the horse on which he won on home ground in Luhmühlen earlier this year, and will be viewed by many as the man to beat.

Britain’s Olympic team silver medallist William Fox-Pitt, winner of three HSBC FEI Classics™ titles (2012, 2010, 2008) and a record 50 CCIs, has entered three horses: Navigator, the 2010 runner-up back in action after a year on the injury list, Bramham (GBR) winner Chilli Morning, a stallion and new ride for Fox-Pitt this year, and the nine-year-old Bay My Hero, a recent runner-up at Blenheim (GBR) CIC3* in the eight and nine-year-old class.

Fox-Pitt’s ever cheerful team mate Mary King (GBR), winner of the 2011 HSBC FEI Classics™ title, brings her Olympic ride Imperial Cavalier, fourth at Pau last year, and her home-bred mare Kings Temptress, winner of Kentucky in 2011.

Andrew Nicholson (NZL), who led the Kiwis to an Olympic bronze medal, is arguably the man of the moment. He leads the HSBC Rankings and recently won three international competitions in six weeks, including Burghley (GBR).

Nicholson, perhaps the rider with the best chance of wrestling the HSBC FEI Classics™ out of British hands for the first time since the series started in 2008, has entered his Olympic horse Nereo, on which he finished tantalizingly close to an individual medal in fourth place at Greenwich, and Mr Cruise Control, second at Pau last year.

Three of Nicholson’s team mates have rides at Pau: Jonathan Paget with Clifton Promise, 10th at Greenwich, Caroline Powell (Onwards And Upwards) and Mark Todd (Major Milestone).

Riders familiar with Pau know that course designer Pierre Michelet (FRA) will set them a challenging Cross Country test that demands the ultimate in boldness and accuracy, but even regular competitors are in for an interesting surprise this time as the ever-ingenious Michelet has reversed the track which runs across the racecourse.

For further event details and results, please visit http://www.event-pau.fr/en/homepage

By: Equestrian Australia