Paris, Hermès and the 50 best horses and riders in the world gathered to compete under the majestic dome of the Grand Palais for a breathtaking celebration of the equestrian sport. The 8th Saut Hermès at the Grand Palais, to take place on 17th, 18th and 19th March, is that perfect match of unique setting and formidable sporting event able to warm the hearts of countless enthusiasts coming together from all over the world, to assist to the magic world of show jumping. The French house has a history firmly established in saddlery and fine equestrian leather goods and from its 1837 beginnings in a small workshop in Paris, to creating the most exclusive handbag in the world, Hermès has certainly come a long way. Nevertheless, since that very beginning horses are part of the brands DNA and are deeply connected with its history. In this terms, the choice of the Grand Palais as venue for this unique event has not been taken randomly: indeed since the early 20th century the majestic building located on the Champs Elysées used to host horse shows and the Maison Hermès already offered its contribute in between 1950 and 1957.
Two big news are attending the spectators this year: an evening event open to the public on Saturday 18th March 2017 will be featured. From 7pm, under the floodlit glass roof of the Grand Palais, the audience will be able to watch the new show jumping event, as well as an all-new equestrian show.
This new CSI 5* class, named “Prix du 24 Faubourg”, will take the form of a timed course, with no jump-off, increasing in difficulty, with one pass permitted.
After nightfall, Hermès will present a poetic show entitled “Le songe de Don Quichotte” (“Don Quixote’s Dream”), an original creation by equestrian artist Mario Luraschi and dramatist Florient Azoulay.
For the eighth consecutive year, the world’s fifty best riders like John Whitaker with Ornellaia, Christian Ahlman with Taloubet Z and Abdelkebir Ouaddar with the spectacular Selle Francais stallion Quickly de Kreisker, will come together in the nave of the Grand Palais to compete in the ten classes of this 5-star international show jumping competition. This is the highest category classified by the French Federation for Equestrian Sports (FFE) and the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI).
All eyes will be on Simon Delestre and his Hermès Ryan, who will have his big come back after last years competition: indeed the horse got injured in his box and the two could not participate to the Saut Hermès, neither could they contribute to the “Bleus” victory at the Olympic Games.
In the spirit of passing on expertise to the younger generation that is so dear to the Parisian saddle- maker, twenty international rising stars under the age of 25 will be mentored by the riders of the CSI 5* circuit as they participate in the three original classes from the Talents Hermès competition, which were created in 2011.
3 days of the most exceptional equestrian sport are ahead of us and will find superb finale during the Sunday afternoon Grand Prix. The height of the jumps and the technicality of the course make this one of the most demanding classes on the international circuit.
Flyinghorse is going to be live at Saut Hermès. Stay Tuned
Pictures provided by Hermès. Copyright © 2016. Photography by Fréderic Chehu, Lea Crespi and Paul Antoine Goutal.
