Les Étoiles de Pau CCI5* kicks off tomorrow (27 October) and marks the final five-star competition of the eventing season. We’ve taken a look around this year’s Pau Horse Trials cross-country course to see what is in store for horses and riders on Saturday 29 October. Designed by Pierre Michelet, this year’s track features 45 jumping efforts over a distance of 6,800m.
The trot-up gets underway at 10am (9am BST) tomorrow morning, with the dressage starting at 2.30pm (1.30pm BST) tomorrow afternoon.
Pau Horse Trials cross-country course: fence by fence
Start box
Fence one: Maison de Département des Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Fence two: Bullfinch
Fence three: Chariot de la Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Fence four AB: Kiosque & pointe de la Ville de Pau
Fence five: Mur de pierre
Fence six AB: Gué Communauté d’Agglomération Pau Béarn Pyrénées: tortue & cygne. Here, riders jump the hedge on the water and then have to jump the two swan fences on a very acute angle.
Fence seven: Cygne
Fence eight: Barrière d’attelage L’Eperon
Fence nine AB: Oxer des charmilles & pointe Euralis
Fence 10AB: Gué Communauté d’Agglomération Pau Béarn Pyrénées: triple brush & haie – riders can jump either the left- or right-hand side angled brush at the top of the bank after coming out of the water
Fence 11: Oxer de haie Audevard
Fence 12AB: Haie & brush Locexpo
Alternative 12B – a very time consuming alternative route.
Fence 13: Haie des courses
Fence 14AB: Stères
Fence 15: Table des courses
Fence 16: Trakehnen
Fence 17: Haie de laurier de L’Hippodrome de Pau
Fence 18AB: Bile de bois & pointe France 3 Noa
Fence 19ABC: Bullfinch & haies. Here riders go up the bank and jump a decent roll top brush fence before going down the bank and then jumping two very acutely angles brush fences on a committed distance. The long route is very time consuming, but it save riders from having to tackle the angled brushes in quick succession.
Fence 19B alternative
Fence 20: Le Palois de la Communauté d’Agglomération Pau Béarn Pyrénées
Fence 21AB: Gué Clear Channel: tronc suspendu & pointe
Fence 22: Delta – the alternative for this fence is slightly less narrow and has less of a drop behind it. The long route will take around four or five seconds longer than the direct route.
Alternative 22
Fence 23AB: Gué Forestier: tronc & haie
Fence 24AB: Troncs de l’Ours – Forestier
Fence 25: Table de pique-nique Pau Events
Fence 26: Palette de peintre
Fence 27ABCD: Maison & triple brushes de Crédit Agricole Pyrénées-Gascogne. The alternative route is incredibly time consuming, but it means that riders don’t have to jump the triple brush directly after the house. They do, however, still have to jump the final D element triple brush, even if they opt for the long route.
Alternative 27B
Alternative 27C
Fence 28: Table tonneaux de la Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Fence 29AB: Maisons de la Communauté d’Agglomération Pau Béarn Pyrénées
Fence 30: Bullfinch des 5 Étoiles
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