Twenty British riders appear on the Pau Horse Trials entries list, with 27 horses for the French five-star (27-31 October) between them.
All three members of Britain’s gold medal-winning Tokyo Olympic team will head to Pau.
Laura Collett will hope to defend the title she won last year on London 52 with five-star debutant Dacapo. Tom McEwen topped the field Pau in 2019 on Toledo De Kerser and this year brings forward a first-timer at the level in CHF Cooliser. Oliver Townend will line up on one horse making his debut at the top level, Ridire Dorcha, plus the experienced MHS King Joules, who he had a fall from at the five-star at Bicton Horse Trials in September.
William Fox-Pitt, who won Pau in 2011 and 2013, has three horses among the Pau Horse Trials entries – Oratorio and Little Fire, who have both been placed at Badminton Horse Trials, and Grafennacht, who makes her debut at the level.
Tina Cook will seek her first five-star win with experienced team horse Billy The Red, while Kirsty Chabert will be out to make amends for a late fall while in the lead at Aachen with Classic VI. Izzy Taylor’s two entries include Fonbherna Lancer, who recently had a win at Little Downham CCI4* after being pulled up following a run-out at Bicton.
Alex Bragg has had numerous good results at Pau on Zagreb and this year brings forward King Of The Mill, who completed with 20 jumping penalties across country here last year.
Among the up-and-coming riders going to Pau, Bubby Upton will make her debut at the level with her Bicton under-25 winner Cannavaro and Cola. The pair finished first and fifth in a CCI4*-S at Little Downham earlier this month and Bubby is making a comeback after breaking her back in the summer.
Brits make up half the entries at Pau, with 53 horses listed in total.
New Zealand’s power couple both have a horse in the mix, with Tim Price riding Falco and Jonelle Price on McClaren. Tokyo team silver medallist Kevin McNab will also travel from Britain to represent Australia on Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend, while three-time Adelaide five-star winners Hazel Shannon and Willingapark Clifford make their first trip to Europe for the event.
The home side has 10 horses entered, including Vegas Des Boursons and Vitorio Du Montet for 2016 Pau winner Maxime Livio.
Ireland’s challenge will be headed by 2019 European individual bronze medallists Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua.
Austria’s rising star Lea Siegl, who has so impressed this year with top-20 finishes at the Olympics and Europeans, brings her Tokyo horse DSP Fighting Line forward to contest her first five-star.
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