puissance
noun
[ ˈpjuːɪs(ə)ns ]
• a competitive test of a horse's ability to jump large obstacles in showjumping.
• "nine horses contested last night's Puissance"
• great power, influence, or prowess.
Origin:
late Middle English (in puissance (sense 2)): from Old French, ‘power’, from puissant ‘having power’ (see puissant). Sense 1 dates from the 1950s.
