Wynn Medinger[portfolio_slideshow id=6568]
Le Saut Hermès is arguably the world’s most elegant horse show.Attending the elite international, three-day show-jumping event in Paris, far surpasses any visitor’s expectations and leaves them with deliriously wonderful memories. They are memories of grandeur, equine sport, and the elegance of Hermès.
Le Saut is a perfect culmination of high-stakes competition and world-class style displayed throughout the architectural jewel, the Grand Palais. Considered a blend of classicism and art nouveau, the historic glass-roofed building beautifully showcases the best of equestrian sport.
This year, avid fans came to watch promising young riders and top-ranking champions such as Simon Delestre, Ludger Beerbaum, Scott Brash, and Pénélope Leprévost, navigate the technical and challenging course. A jubilant Moroccan rider, Abdelkebir Ouddar won the prestigious Grand Prix CSI5* in a down-to-the-second win.
While some of the world’s champions went through focused warm ups and fierce competition, a much younger clutch of riders mounted their Shetland ponies and warmed up for the pony races that took place in the main arena.
Read the Equestrian Living story here.
Children attending delighted, not just in watching the continuous hours of exhilarating competition, but also in participating and getting a first-hand taste of equestrian sport and horsemanship. Will they be the next generation of show jumpers? They are certainly off to a great start!
And, for grownups and children alike, charmingly French entertainment came in the form of goose herding by a trainer and his skillful dog, a performance by Bartabas, the director of horses at the National Equestrian Academy of Versailles, and an irresistible menagerie of llamas, ponies, goats, and lambs that were infinitely pettable. Ah, to be a child—or an adult—at Le Saut Hermès!
