Exciting equine five-star first-timers come to the fore in packed dressage session at Pau

Britain’s Selena Milnes and Cooley Snapchat head a bevy of fresh names joining the top 10 at the mid-way stage of Pau Horse Trials dressage.

Tom McEwen with Brookfield Quality and New Zealand’s Clarke Johnstone on his Olympic ride Menlo Park have retained their overnight positions. Tom is out in front on 25.8, while Clarke is just behind on 26.3.

From here on down, Friday morning’s competitors have given the leaderboard a good shake.

The Ruckers’ 10-year-old Irish sport horse (by Kannan), who is making his CCI5* debut at Pau Horse Trials, has impressed with his consistency at four-star. In his test today, he looked to have taken another significant step forward, showing beautiful elevation and earning a strong smattering of eights from the judges to finish on 27.1.

“I think there’s more to come,” said Selina, adding that in the last six weeks, the horse has really developed in his ability to use his back end, which has in turn freed up his shoulders.

“In training, he’s been diving left and anticipating on his first half-pass to the flying change, so I’ve done nothing outside with that. Then he was on the aids in the arena.”

She added that he had been keeping a watchful eye on the big screen during the arena familiarisation, and she could feel him sensing it again today, but kept it together well.

Piggy March and the charming little grey stallion Halo, owned by Jayne McGivern, were also among the top dressage tests at Pau Horse Trials in this morning, and hold provisional fourth on 27.4.

Piggy was delighted with the 11-year-old (by Humphrey 61 and out of a Contender mare), while a little frustrated by the discrepancies in marks. There was more than eight percent difference between her score from the judge at B – who had the pair in 11th place on 69.63% – and the judge at C, who marked the combination as the leaders at this stage on 77.96%.

She explained that her frustration is in trying to understand what the judge at B is seeing – given a similar situation happened at Blenheim – and therefore analyse what she needs to do in order to elevate the marks from judges on the side of the arena.

“He was brilliant and I’m delighted with the horse,” said Piggy. “He felt on the button and that test to me felt a sub-25.”

She said that she wondered if she had Halo’s frame “too up and out” at Blenheim, and this time had him rounder at the base of the neck. She added that he was in front of her leg, on the aids, halting square and doing his changes nicely.

“The rest of the competition is a complete and other thing. This is about the today and now – knowing where you are with your horse, with your training and trying to get the best out of them. I’ve built up to two good competitions, he’s a lovely little horse and felt like he gave it all,” she said.

“I’m not saying I could do a better job [of judging]. But I’m just confused that it’s also [the judge at] B, so I’m taking it away with me, that the judge on the side is not liking something.”

Shadow Man, who is back with regular rider Ben Hobday after winning individual silver with Chris Burton at the Paris Olympics, produced a lovely test to slot into provisional fifth on a score of 28.

Storm Straker and Fever Pitch have slotted into sixth (28.9) with Austria’s Lea Seagl and DSP Fighting Line holding eighth.

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