Nicholson Handy after Day One of Dressage at Les Etoiles du Pau in France

World number one eventer Andrew Nicholson is in second place aboard Quimbo after the first day of dressage at Les Etoiles du Pau in France this morning.

Nicholson and Quimbo (owned by Deborah Sellar) are just 1.7 penalty points behind leader William Fox-Pitt (GBR) and Seacookie TSF who sit on 41.5 in the last four star event of the season. 

Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy are handy too, sitting in eighth spot on 46.7 with Nicholson and Viscount George (owned by Robin and Nicola Salmon) in 12^th on 51.7.

Annabel Wigley and Frog Rock are in 19^th with their 54.8 efforts, with Megan Heath and St Daniel in 20^th on 55.5 and Craig Nicolai aboard Just Ironic in 34^th with 64.

Forty of the 76-strong class have completed their dressage, with Nicolson and Mr Cruise Control still to come, along with Caroline Powell on Onwards and Upwards (owned by Cameron and Mary Crawford and Powell) and Lucy Jackson on Willy Do (owned by Gillian Greenlees and Jackson).

In the CIC2* Sir Mark Todd aboard Haokonn (owned by Panda Christie) is in 24^th spot on 53.5 with Powell and The Earl of Belvedere (owned by Richard Ames) just behind on 54.1.

Pau marks the start of the new season in the cash rich HSBC FEI Classics, which covers the world’s six four star events and sees the winner pocked nearly $180,000.

For more information, head to http://www.event-pau.fr/en/homepage

By: Diana Dobson/ESNZ