It’s a tight and very tough field battling it out in the dressage on the opening day of competition in the CCI5* at Les Etoiles de Pau in France.

Chris Burton (AUS) and Graf Liberty, who last year finished second at the event, lead after the first day of dressage on 22 penalty points with Piggy March (nee French – GBR) and Brookfield Inocent in second on 22.2 and current world champ Rosalind Canter (GBR) and Zenshera in third on 24.8.

Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy are the best of the New Zealand combos, sitting in eighth spot on 27.2 with Jonelle Price and Grovine de Reve in 14th on 30.3, and Tim aboard Xavier Faer in 16th on 31.5.

Thirty-two of the field have completed their dressage, with Jonelle aboard Faerie Dianimo, and Tim on Wesko to compete overnight.

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THE HORSE DETAILS:
Faerie Dianimo – owned by Trisha Rickards and Jacky Green
Grovine de Reve – owned by Therese Miller, Jo Preston Hunt, Philip Hunt and Jonelle Price
Ringwood Sky Boy – owned by Varenna Allen and Tim Price
Wesko – owned by The Windrush Equestrian Foundation and Tim Price
Xavier Faer – owned by Trisha Rickards, Nigella Hall and Tim Price

By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison
Photos by Peter Nixon Photography