Andrew Nicholson (NZL) crowned perhaps the best season of his long and distinguished career when he won Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA), the first leg of the 2012/2013 HSBC FEI Classics™, on Libby Sellars’ talented chestnut Nereo this weekend.
The only rider to complete on his Dressage score, Pau was Nicholson’s fourth consecutive international victory this autumn, following Burghley, Blenheim and Boekelo, and his fourth CCI4* triumph in a career that has spanned some 30 years.
“This is what it’s all about,” said the hard-working New Zealander as he was congratulated afterwards. “Winning one CCI4* in 10 years is pretty good and to win two in two months feels amazing.
“I’m proud to be riding such classy horses, which is what I do this sport for. Nereo is probably the best Cross Country horse in the world and in the Jumping phase I knew that if I did my job we could win.”
It was a good day for New Zealand, as Jonathan Paget, the Cross Country leader, finished second on the much-admired Clifton Promise with just one rail down, and scored the best result of his fast-developing career.
“I knew the optimum time was influential so I was cracking on a bit and that’s when you tend to have fences down,” said Paget philosophically.
Nicholson, who now takes an early lead in the HSBC FEI Classics™ and intends to contest all of the events in the series apart from Adelaide, was also seventh on Mr Cruise Control.
Caroline Powell (NZL), Nicholson’s Olympic team mate, was eighth on the nine-year-old Onwards And Upwards and newcomer Alice Montgomery (NZL) was 21st on Gordon in her first CCI4*.
Michael Jung (GER) is another rider for whom 2012 has been a great year and he showed the strength in depth in his yard when second string Leopin FST finished third with just one fence down in today’s Jumping phase. He intends to bring this horse and his Olympic champion La Biosthetique Sam to Badminton in 2013.
William Fox-Pitt (GBR), the 2012 HSBC FEI Classics™ winner, showed he is not short of nice horses for the future either when finishing fourth on the youngster Bay My Hero and fifth with just one time fault on the stallion Chilli Morning.
Perhaps the biggest cheers from the large home crowd enjoying the welcome sunshine went to Astier Nicolas (FRA), sixth and highest placed French rider on Jhakti du Janlie. A former pupil of Andrew Nicholson’s, the young Frenchman said that the veteran New Zealander had taught him “focus, determination and hard work”.
Only one horse left the competition at the final horse inspection stage, Kevin McNab’s (AUS) Clifton Pinot, which was eliminated when in eighth place after Cross Country.
There were 32 finishers representing 11 nations, eight of which jumped clear in the final phase – though few of those were without time penalties – and Competition Manager Jean-Marc Varillon (FRA) said he was honoured that such a high-class field had contested Les Etoiles de Pau in 2012.
Final Results at Les Etoiles de Pau
1 Andrew Nicholson/Nereo (NZL) 39.0 + 0 + 0 = 39.0
2 Jonathan Paget/Clifton Promise (NZL) 36.7 + 0 + 4 = 40.7
3 Michael Jung/Leopin FST (GER) 38.3 + 0 + 5 = 43.3
4 William Fox-Pitt/Bay My Hero (GBR) 41.7 + 0 + 4 = 45.7
5 William Fox-Pitt/Chilli Morning (GBR) 44.7 + 0 + 1 = 45.7
6 Astier Nicolas/Jhakti du Janlie (FRA) 39.5 + 0 + 8 = 47.5
7 Andrew Nicholson/Mr Cruise Control (NZL) 45.7 + 0 + 4 = 49.7
8 Caroline Powell/Onwards And Upwards (NZL) 53.2 + 0 + 4 = 57.2
9 Richard Jones/Highland Ford (GBR) 52.8 + 6.8 + 4 = 63.6
10 Gemma Tattersall/Stormhill Kossack (GBR) 42.6 + 8 + 18 = 68.5
Full results on www.event-pau.fr
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