Tim Price (NZL) and Viscount Viktor. Image: @lauradupuyphotos/5 Etoiles de Pau.
Tim Price leads Pau CCI5*L after day one of the dressage
Once the formality of the horse inspections was validated Thursday morning at 10am, the first combinations on the start list for the 2023 edition of 5 Etoiles de Pau (Pau CCI5*L) performed their dressage test. The rather damp weather conditions did little to discourage them, but came as a reminder that horse riding is a true outdoor sport and that the weather conditions are a factor that influences performance.
Something that Gaspard Maksud, the only French rider in the first group, could readily confirm, as his mare Zaragoza was obviously not enamoured with the wet sand in the arena. On the other hand, Tim Price (NZL), winner of the 2021 edition of the 5 Etoiles de Pau, performed his dressage test unperturbed, taking the lead in the provisional ranking with his first mount, Viscount Viktor. Eight riders follow, the first being Piggy March (GBR) ranked world number 13, followed by her compatriots Rosalind Canter and Pippa Funnell, two of the most qualified British horsewomen.
On Friday, Cédric Lyard (FRA) will open the event for the second day of dressage, with Unum De’Or, owned by Marie-Christine Duroy. Among the riders eagerly awaited by seasoned spectators, are Tom McEwen (GBR) (winner of the event in 2019), American rider Boyd Martin (world no. 3), Oliver Townend, world no.1, and French rider Maxime Livio, who claimed the title in 2016.
Gaspard Maksud, world no.35, ranked 10th on the provisional leaderboard with Zaragoza:
“We’ve come a long way since the European Championships this summer at the Haras du Pin when Zaragoza wasn’t quite ready. I was injured two months before the event, and I didn’t have time to do the work I needed to do for my horse to perform well. She needs to go outside and be in the open air. Today, I was really pleased with her canter work, even if there are still a few small errors to iron out. Zaragoza didn’t make a clean halt in the rein back, and she missed two leg changes, whereas two weeks ago, she performed them without a second thought. We’ll be working on that this winter.
“The warm-up was hard going for us, the ground was thick and sticky, we had trouble galloping and I think we lost out this afternoon because of that. Otherwise, the mare was focused and we are pretty satisfied. There’s still a lot of work to be done, especially on the cross-country course on Saturday which will be no mean feat – but nothing is impossible!”
Jonelle Price, ranked world no.25 and winner of the 5 Etoiles de Pau in 2022, was in 9th place at the end of the day, with McLaren:
“We could have done without the torrential rain today, it’s difficult to stay cooped up in a truck all day with lots of people, but we’re used to it. We’re a bit like a travelling circus actually and this week the entire troop is here! (Editor’s note: there are 10 New-Zealand riders competing this year).
“McLaren is more confident on some days than others, but I’m happy with his performance. I wasn’t too keen on the nightclub music on the walk, but I hope the music is the same for the others tomorrow. On the cross-country course, there are quite a few three-and-a-half strides, which I’m not an immense fan of, but it’s our responsibility as riders to figure out how to make them work. I think that almost every other fence is either a corner, or a skinny or an angled rail, so there are plenty of opportunities to make a mistake if you don’t quite execute those three-and-a-half strides just right.”
Source: 5 Etoiles de Pau press release
Published 27 October 2023.
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