The first competition of the FEI Classics™ 2013/2014 season has been billed as a “battle of the giants” between Andrew Nicholson (NZL) and William Fox-Pitt (GBR), ranked first and second in the HSBC Rider Rankings, but Australia’s Lucinda Fredericks has swept ahead of the pair of them after the Dressage phase at Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA).

Fredericks, always a graceful and accomplished performer in this phase, was the only rider to break the 40-penalty barrier with a score of 39.2 on Flying Finish. However, the next six horses, three of them ridden by Fox-Pitt, are within five penalties of the leading score.

Flying Finish, a 13-year-old gelding by Candillo, is Fredericks’ top horse; they were second at Luhmühlen (GER) and members of the Australian Olympic team in 2012. This year, after a slow start to the season, due to Fredericks breaking a collarbone in March, they were 10th at Luhmühlen, but both horse and rider will have honed their fitness since then and are sure to be making a determined assault on Pierre Michelet’s Cross Country course tomorrow.

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