Tim Price emerged the winner of Pau Horse Trials 2025, with outstanding performances in all three phases on Jarillo. Fourth after dressage, the New Zealander moved up to second ahead of showjumping with a fast cross-country clear. His showjumping clear inside the time put pressure on the leaders Sarah Bullimore and Corimiro, who rolled a pole four fences from the finish.
One rail dropped Sarah to fifth, while clears from Tom Jackson (Plot Twist B) and Boyd Martin (Cooley Nutcracker) moved them up to the podium, in second and third respectively.
“Jarillo’s always been classy, but he’s sensitive and bringing out the best in him is what I’ve always wanted to do,” Tim said. “He’s just shown his class and more. It’s all about confidence with him. Horses like him look easy, and good, but if you give them a wrong distance, they don’t like it. He is a great horse and I’m just lucky to ride him, to have the joy of sitting there, just keeping my leg on and my heels down!”
This flashy 11-year-old, owned by Lucy Allison, Frances Stead and James and Rachel Good, really came of age at this his third five-star, and is one to watch ahead of the World Championships next year.
Plot Twist B – owned by Mary Harris and Ruth McMullen – moved stealthily through the field after lying 31st after dressage. One of the six clears inside the time on cross-country day, he finished on his dressage of 33.2 – the only horse to post a clean sheet.
“He isn’t the easiest on the flat, but he is a very good jumper and has produced what we knew he was capable of,” said Tom. “He is a big worrier, but sometimes it suits him jumping on the last day because he’s a bit more level-headed.
“I’ve really had to get inside his head to be able to ride him, but he’s still improving.”
Runners-up Tom Jackson and Plot Twist B. Credit: Peter Nixon
Boyd Martin was impressed with Cooley Nutcracker’s all-round performance, moving up from 10th to third on the final day. This is the pair’s first five-star together after Boyd took over the ride from Liz Halliday while she is injured.
“He is magnificent,” said the American, paying tribute to Liz’s production of Nutcracker, her 2024 Olympic ride. “I came to this weekend not knowing what to expect and was blown away by him in all three phases. He just catapulted himself into the air and flew around the course today.
“He’s unbelievable and I’m just thrilled for all of Liz’s connections. Liz was on the phone just now cheering him on – it was very emotional.”
Pau Horse Trials winner: Jarillo’s route to the trophy
The showjumping was always going to be a nail-biter – whether Yann Royant’s track was influential or not, as just one rail covered the top nine. Sarah Bullimore’s scintillating cross-country round with Corimiro had propelled her up from 11th to the top spot overnight.
“It was a tough, challenging course with a tight time, and the stage was set for good jumpers, but also good riders in the heat of the moment,” Tim said. “It’s always big here, but it was particularly big and long. The oxer at 13 was probably as big as we event riders see. But my horse is just such a talented animal.”
Although Bubby Upton’s ride Cannavaro, the second-placed horse after cross-country, was withdrawn from the hold box at the final horse inspection, Sarah still had little breathing space. The brilliant jumper Jarillo was within 0.9 of a penalty, and the two Frenchmen Benjamin Massie (Filao De Perle) and Astier Nicolas (Dirty Old Town) were lurking just 1.2 marks away.
But clear rounds were hard to come by. There were only six inside the time from 39 competitors.
Tim’s day started ominously when his first ride Global Quest, in 20th place but jumping first due to Tim having to fit in three rounds, broke a pole at fence two and later stopped – although he went on to complete. But Jarillo has only had two rails down cumulatively in his entire international career, and he never looked liked faulting.
“Global Quest’s round did rattle me,” admitted Tim, who also finished fourth with Happy Boy, another double clear. “I was actually damaged goods out there and didn’t get going well in the warm-up with Happy, but I’ve known him since he was four, and when I galloped down to number one, everything just felt right again.”
The French riders both entered the arena to slow hand-clapping from an adoring home crowd, but couldn’t give their fans the result they wanted. They lowered a pole apiece, which relegated Benjamin to seventh and Astier to eighth.
Chief beneficiary of was Alex Hua Tian, who produced a delightful clear round in the time on the ultimate trier Chicko for sixth.
“He’s so unassuming, like a posh hunter – always chirpy and happy,” said Alex. “I thought last year’s showjumping was big, this felt like it was a hole bigger.”
Last to go, Corimiro was foot-perfect until just tapping the upright at fence nine.
“He’s still awesome and he’s only nine and he’ll put himself in that position again,” said Sarah. “I probably needed to sit up a stride or two earlier and say whoa, but he said, ‘no Mum, I can do it’.”
Pau Horse Trials winner and top 10
- Tim Price and Jarillo: 30
- Tom Jackson and Plot Twist B: 33.2
- Boyd Martin and Cooley Nutcracker: 33.9
- Tim Price and Happy Boy: 34.3
- Sarah Bullimore and Corimiro: 34.4
- Alex Hua Tian and Chicko: 34.5
- Benjamin Massie and Filao De Perle: 35.2
- Astier Nicolas and Dirty Old Town: 35.2
- David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed: 37.2
- Jonelle Price and Senor Crocodillo: 39.2
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