Pau, France – Three U.S. horse-and-athlete combinations performed their dressage test at the Les Étoiles de Pau CCI4* on Thursday, and Land Rover Competition Grant recipients Lauren Kieffer and Veronica lead the way for the U.S. contingent.

Kieffer (Ocala, Fla.) and Team Rebecca, LLC’s Veronica had a lovely test to score 44.2 from the Ground Jury of Jane Tolley, Eric Lieby, and Polly Ann Huntington, putting them in fourth place after the first day of dressage.

“I’m pleased with Team Rebecca’s Veronica today,” said Kieffer. “She’s becoming really reliable in the ring and she put in a good test. We have a lot to get done on Saturday and I don’t think it will be a dressage show. Thanks to Land Rover for supporting us on this trip. Competitive results at overseas competitions are really important to our success at future championships.”

Sharon White (Summit Point, W.V.) had a personal best result with her own and Richard Weber’s Wundermaske to sit in sixth place with a score of 48.7. Erin Sylvester (Unionville, Pa.) struggled with tension from her own and Jill Tallman’s No Boundaries to score 59.3 and stand in 17th place.

Clark Montgomery (Wiltshire, UK) and Universe, owned by Jessica Montgomery, Carole Montgomery, Janet Higgins, and Elizabeth Smith, will be the final U.S. combination to head down centerline, entering the ring at 3:20pm local time.

To learn more about the Les Étoiles de Pau CI4*, visit: http://www.event-pau.com/. 

Find live scores here.