One horse not accepted at Pau trot-up as the season’s final five-star kicks off

One horse was spun at the first Pau Horse Trials trot-up, leaving a field of 49 to go forward to dressage.

American rider Julie Wolfert had made the trip over to France from Kansas, US, with SSH Playboy hoping to contest her first five-star, but it was not to be. The 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding was sent to the holding box and then not accepted by the ground jury on re-inspection.

The Pau trot-up was straightforward right up to the penultimate horse, America’s Cooley Kildare, partnered by Alexa Gartenberg. The 13-year-old grey gelding was sent to the holding box, where he was joined by last-to-go SSH Playboy.

Cooley Kildare was accepted on second inspection.

Britain is by far the most represented nation, with 19 riders on 22 horses coming forward and all accepted by the ground jury of James Rooney (Ireland), Laure Eslan (France) and Judy Hancock (Britain).

Both last year’s winner (Tim Price on Jarillo) and runner-up (Tom Jackson and Plot Twist B) return.

Three Burghley horses are bidding for another crack at five-star this autumn: Calmaro, who finished 20th under Ireland’s Joseph Murphy at Burghley; Ballinaguilkey Fortunus – who retired on the cross-country with Anthony Clark; and Lionel II, withdrawn after dressage for Mary Edmundson.

Three riders have a very busy week ahead, with three rides apiece. These are Brit Izzy Taylor (PSH Encore, SBH Big Wall and Barrington Alice), and New Zealand’s Tim (Jarillo, Garcon and Happy Boy) and Jonelle Price (Capitaine De Hus Z, Grappa Nera and Senor Crocodillo).

Barrington Alice is one of only two nine-year-olds in the field – the other being France’s Hashtag De La Vigne (Sebastien Cavaillon) – and makes her five-star debut for Izzy.

Early dressage times at Pau five-star

It’s a tight Thursday schedule as, rather than hold the horse inspection on Wednesday afternoon as many events do, at Pau the horses trot up on Thursday morning, then the first third of runners perform their dressage in the afternoon.

Dressage starts at 2.30pm (1.30pm British time) with Jonelle and her Pau 2022 winner Grappa Nera the first in the ring. Yasmin Ingham wraps up this afternoon’s proceedings on five-star debutant Gypsie Du Loir at 4.42pm (3.42pm).

Another one to watch on Thursday afternoon is the well fancied Cola (3.12pm/2.12pm British time), ridden by Bubby Upton.

Other Brits’ dressage times on Thursday afternoon:

• Izzy Taylor/Barrington Alice: 2.44pm (1.44pm)
• Stephen Heal/Hisco: 2.51pm (1.51pm)
• Heidi Coy/MGH Jessica: 3.19pm (2.19pm)
• Willa Newton/Hartacker: 4.14pm (3.14pm)
• Sam Ecroyd/Mister Big Ears: 4.35pm (3.35pm)

Thursday's dressage times in full

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