Just back from the final 5 Star for the season. (Any eventing enthusiasts will know what I’m talking about 😊)

Now late October down in Pau, south west France is normally warm and gloriously sunny but not this year ! Although we arrived in time to see some sun on the first day of dressage, overnight the rain began and fell pretty solidly for 48 hours. Hats off to the organisers, competitors, volunteers and mass of spectators who coped with the wet,wet,wet conditions. It was still a wonderful event and a great opportunity to catch up with some familiar faces.

We kept under cover for much of the time so photos are limited 😂

Ros Canter in the warm up arena

Oliver Townend on one of his 3 rides.

Just one of the beautifully dressed fences, ( admittedly we didn’t do the whole course).The going was deep and in areas fences were pulled out and the course shortened, but the competitors were full of praise as to how the organisers managed the appalling conditions.

Zara Tindall at the final combination just the final fence to go.

Same fence, we stayed close to the covered grandstand ! Oliver Townend.

And finally all the way from Victoria – Sam Cesnik and Graftango.

Not a day for ice creams 😊

This life sized garden ornament can be yours for 60,OOO euros.

Farewell to Pau 5 Étoiles for another year.

Time to load up ‘Tonto’ and head home.

A few weeks before Pau we discovered a whole new horse sport!! No,not attelage or combined driving as we knew it but Débardage, (which is nothing to do with The Fat Bottomed Boys 😂)

Débardage is a sport/competition that has evolved from traditional forestry techniques where horses are used to transport felled trees from cutting areas to storage. Still used in sensitive environments true horse power is ecologically sound. It is the solution for fragile natural areas as it avoids soil compaction, less likelihood of sapling damage, no tracks required and horses can work in wetlands without getting bogged or on steep slopes inaccessible to tractors.

So here in France there is a whole national competition circuit for these wonderful workhorses. Driven singly or in pairs they make their way around a specific course having been hitched to a tree trunk which has to be pulled through, around or over various obstacles within a specified time. Judges score each obstacle similar to the marathon phase in combined driving.

It is just incredible to watch the skill of these drivers and the communication (or not in some cases) between man and team.

A pair of Percherons waiting to start their round.

Hitched up and through obstacle number one, the gateway.

At times around the course the log needs to be dragged through a copse of young trees, over a bridge, down a ‘drop fence’,through various gateways without dislodging the precariously balanced red blocks, before being dragged up and placed on a stack of already stored logs.

It was just incredible to see them work and we were fortunate enough to see the Boyd Excel of débardage, last years National Champion with his pair of Norman Cobs. He just made it look so easy!!!

There were heavy breeds there I’ve never seen before and I really thought that after a lifetime with horses I knew most breeds?? There was even a pair of mules with the most amazingly trimmed tails 😊

There were also plenty of French characters. Couldn’t resist a photo of Monsieur in his dungarees and beret.

Just hanging around.

We are complete converts now and look forward to following next year’s Débardage au Cheval Championship next year.😂