Key contenders for the Pau Horse Trials title Emily King and Oliver Townend are tied on a rating of 24.6 to carry equal second place after dressage.
Emily on her nice five-star campaigner Valmy Biats – now owned by David and Paula Evans alongside Emily and her dad – and Oliver along with his Kentucky-winning trip Cooley Rosalent sit behind dressage leaders Ros Canter and Izilot DHI.
Emily is regularly awed by the 15-year-old Valmy’s capacity to maintain bettering on this part, even now as a totally established top-level horse, beginning at his eighth CCI5*.
“That was the perfect feeling I’ve ever had in a take a look at with him,” mentioned Emily. “I’ve had him for some time now and he’s continued to get higher and higher.”
“What’s so good is that on this final 12 months, he now is aware of every little thing within the take a look at. He’s so delicate – as a younger horse, when he was studying, he’s such an over-thinker that he’d get tense and powerful, as a result of he tries so laborious.”
Their rating is simply shy of Valmy’s five-star private better of 24.1, which he set at Burghley final month.
Emily defined that now Valmy is aware of the actions, he’s relaxed and extra assured – which in flip has boosted her confidence within the horse.
“I can simply breathe, thoughts you I’m not respiratory a lot now!” mentioned Emily after her take a look at.
“I can pat him, maintain his hand and present him off softly, somewhat than over-riding and him getting sturdy after which jeopardising the motion. He felt superior within the warm-up, then within the area the cameras and the gang truly properly helped to elevate him in his body, with out making him sizzling.”
Though Diana and Paul Ridgeon’s Cooley Rosalent begins at Pau with a five-star win already to her identify, she remains to be studying and creating at this stage.
“She’s solely 10 and he or she’s not seen as a lot as a lot of the discipline, however she’s prime, prime class,” mentioned Oliver, including that his essential intention for all three of his rides tomorrow is to “take care of them”.
“She’s very thoroughbred, so hopefully that’ll work in our favour tomorrow. She’s nonetheless inexperienced and a child. We all know she’s a Kentucky winner – usually, after they’ve finished that, they take time to recuperate mentally, however I feel she’s superb within the mind and taking all of it in her stride. I used to be very joyful at this time.”
Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent at Pau Horse Trials 2024.
He added: “She’s simply getting stronger on a regular basis. Her mom, Bellaney Jewel, gained a Scottish Borders Nationwide – she is +70% thoroughbred, so she’s not bred to do a dressage take a look at like she does, however she’s simply getting stronger and extra assured. She’s very delicate. You’ve acquired to be very work round her and he or she’s undoubtedly one value working round.”
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