Key contenders for the Pau Horse Trials title Emily King and Oliver Townend are tied on a score of 24.6 to hold equal second place after dressage.
Emily on her great five-star campaigner Valmy Biats – now owned by David and Paula Evans alongside Emily and her dad – and Oliver with his Kentucky-winning ride Cooley Rosalent sit behind dressage leaders Ros Canter and Izilot DHI.
Emily is continually awed by the 15-year-old Valmy’s ability to keep improving in this phase, even now as a fully established top-level horse, starting at his eighth CCI5*.
“That was the best feeling I’ve ever had in a test with him,” said Emily. “I’ve had him for a while now and he’s continued to get better and better.”
“What is so nice is that in this last year, he now knows everything in the test. He’s so sensitive – as a young horse, when he was learning, he’s such an over-thinker that he’d get tense and strong, because he tries so hard.”
Their score is just shy of Valmy’s five-star personal best of 24.1, which he set at Burghley last month.
Emily explained that now Valmy knows the movements, he is relaxed and more confident – which in turn has boosted her confidence in the horse.
“I can just breathe, mind you I’m not breathing much now!” said Emily after her test.
“I can pat him, hold his hand and show him off softly, rather than over-riding and him getting strong and then jeopardising the movement. He felt awesome in the warm-up, then in the arena the cameras and the crowd actually nicely helped to lift him in his frame, without making him hot.”
Although Diana and Paul Ridgeon’s Cooley Rosalent starts at Pau with a five-star win already to her name, she is still learning and developing at this level.
“She’s only 10 and she’s not seen as much as most of the field, but she’s top, top class,” said Oliver, adding that his main aim for all three of his rides tomorrow is to “look after them”.
“She’s very thoroughbred, so hopefully that’ll work in our favour tomorrow. She’s still green and a baby. We know she’s a Kentucky winner – normally, when they’ve done that, they take time to recover mentally, but I think she’s very good in the brain and taking it all in her stride. I was very happy today.”
Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent at Pau Horse Trials 2024.
He added: “She’s just getting stronger all the time. Her mother, Bellaney Jewel, won a Scottish Borders National – she is +70% thoroughbred, so she’s not bred to do a dressage test like she does, but she’s just getting stronger and more confident. She’s very sensitive. You’ve got to be very work around her and she’s definitely one worth working around.”
- To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout Pau Horse Trials, London International and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website
You may also be interested in:
How to watch Pau Horse Trials
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
Changes made to Pau cross-country course owing to wet weather
Defending champions lead bumper Pau field on sub-20 dressage: ‘He lifted when he came in’
