There are a good bunch of kiwis in France to compete at the Les 4 Etoiles de Pau in both the four and two-star classes.
The two-star kicked off the dressage action and Caroline Powell on Flipper K is the best placed, being in sixth place on 41.9. The class is being led by Karen Donckers on Jalepeno on 34.4. Sir Mark Todd is ninth riding Dusk til Dawn on 45. Bruce Haskell is riding Amiro Sky and is in 29th place on 49.7.
Another New Zealander is one of the ground jury in the two-star competition – Stuart Bishell!
In the four-star competition, after a trot up in very dark conditions which proved a photographer’s nightmare, the dressage has got underway and Sir Mark is off to a good start on Kiltubrid Rhapsody, sitting in second place on 40.4. Ros Canter is leading, with a score of 39.7 on Zenshera.
Andrew Nicholson and Qwanza are in sixth place on 42.1.
Joe Meyer, who has bought Clip Clop all the way from Florida to compete in this event, is sitting further down the field on a score of 54.6.
Caroline Powell didn’t have the test she was after, and her score of 60.1 with On the Brash leaves her near the end of the field.
Another kiwi in the field is Izzy Taylor’s horse, Frog Rock. They are sitting on 50.4 mid field.
Caroline has another crack at the dressage tomorrow, on Up Up and Away, and Jonelle Price and Faerie Dianimo will also be doing their test tomorrow, as does Sir Mark and NZB Campino and Andrew Nicholson and Jet Set.
There are some other big names to come tomorrow too, with Astier Nicolas, Maxime Livio riding with all the French hopes, Jonty Evans with Cooley Rorkes Drift, “the people’s horse” thanks to a successful crowd funding campaign to purchase the horse, and German maestro, Michael Jung on his champion La Biosthetique Sam FBW. Australian Shane Rose and CP Qualified are also in the field for the dressage tomorrow.
Good luck kiwis!
