Salon du Cheval Paris – Change is afoot at the Salon du Cheval de Paris which will be taking a decidedly more sporting approach for the 2016 edition (26th November to 4th December). According to Jessica Gordon, the recently appointed event director: “The Salon du Cheval de Paris is taking a turn and will be promoted as the major sporting event involving all players in the industry. This is a deliberate repositioning in line with the wishes of numerous riders, breeders, federations and exhibitors.” The Salon du Cheval in Paris is thus set to become the venue for an event within an event: the Concours Hippique Indoor de Paris.
The Concours Hippique Indoor de Paris: a new, unmissable event
An event needs to showcase at least two different disciplines to be entitled to use the “concours hippique” (horse show) label. The Concours Hippique Indoor de Paris will offer five different disciplines simultaneously in two arenas: jumping (a discipline in which 75% of club riders in France take part), dressage, driving, horse ball and Western riding. The event is aimed at all levels of riders (professionals or amateurs, club or pony riders). A number of other competitions will be held alongside this event over the 9 days: vaulting, polo, without forgetting the Longines Masters where elite world-class riders will be competing.
The Salon du Cheval de Paris: firmly focused on excellence
The sport and competition themed areas have been repositioned at the forefront of the strategy for the Salon du Cheval de Paris and will be reorganised to meet the objectives outlined by Jessica Gordon: “We want to offer riders and spectators exactly the same sports facilities that they are used to experiencing at national and international competitions.” This includes the total refurbishment of the two arenas in Hall 5a, which will be fitted with top-quality Toubin & Clément footings, the creation of a specialist sports administration department for organising the sports events, and a very broad range of competitions. The 2,500 horses accommodated in Hall 4 will also benefit from a stabling service, daily feed deliveries and full security measures, in short, conditions worthy of the top star-rated shows.
Two other major sporting events will be taking place at the same time as the Concours Hippique Indoor de Paris:
• The DEVOUCOUX Indoor Derby, an indoor cross-country riding event as part of the Nuit du Cheval Sport & Spectacle evening. It will follow the same format as the indoor derbies that were held in Bordeaux and Geneva, with the same logistics team from the national director to the course designer.
• The FEI Vaulting World Cup with men’s and women’s individual competitions and a Pas de Deux competition: three categories showcased for both enlightened spectators and those who want to discover this discipline featured at the World Equestrian Games and in which French riders have won medals.
Without forgetting the World Arabian Horse Championship that brings together the world’s most stunning purebreds for a prestigious show packed with beauty and elegance as well as the Horse Ball pro elite and the Western Masters competitions.
So sport will be clearly be to the fore at the Salon du Cheval de Paris: its poster, which is the event’s principal communication tool, will feature a sleek image of a horse in mid-jump. A simple and modern design that perfectly illustrates what the 2016 edition promises in the way of new features.
The show has been evolving over the years, and enables horse industry professionals, amateur and professional riders, horse breeders as well as the general public and enthusiasts to discover the wide range of activities and the many innovations presented by 450 exhibitors from the equestrian sector.
This initial programme is only a foretaste of what’s to come at the new look Salon du Cheval de Paris. This year’s show is firmly focused on sport but no horse enthusiast will be overlooked. So save the date: 26th November to 4th December 2016.
Source: Press Release Salon du Cheval Paris
