On Sunday, 12 April*, the two showcase events—the Saut Hermès and Grand Prix Hermès—will be broadcast on the giant screen in front of the Paris Hôtel de Ville. Young spectators will be invited to enjoy their first pony ride at a mini equestrian club set up for the occasion on the square.
Pony ride: 1.30 p.m.–6 p.m.
Saut Hermès: 1.30 p.m.–3.30 p.m. (replay)
Grand Prix Hermès: 3:45 p.m.–5.45 p.m. (live)
These major competitions will also be broadcast live on Eurosport and Equidia..
Forty of the best international riders will take part in the sixth Saut Hermès at Grand Palais. Winning at the Grand Palais has become one of the season’s key objectives for riders. Set to run just three days before the World Cup finals in Las Vegas, the majority of international circuit stars have signed up to the Saut Hermès at Grand Palais, including young world number one Scott Brash, who claims a win here is essential to his career.
With the exception of Rick Hemeryck (2011), the winners of the previous five Grand Prix Hermès have remained loyal to the event, with Germans Marcus Ehning (2010 and 2014), Christian Ahlmann (2011) and Ludger Beerbaum (2013) and Ukrainian Katharina Offel (2012) expected to attend. Winning the Grand Prix is an important milestone in the sporting careers of these top-flight riders.
As the six 5* competition classes get underway, the Parisian audience will also welcome nine top French riders including Pénélope Leprevost, Roger-Yves Bost, Kevin Staut and Lorraine-born Simon Delestre, who will be keen to secure a ‘home’ victory as a rider-partner of Hermès. And Alexandre Fontanelle, 24, will compete among experienced riders for the first time this year after participating in under-25s classes in 2013 and 2014.
With 19 nationalities in attendance, this year’s Saut Hermès at Grand Palais is set to attract other big-name international champions including Daniel Deusser (Germany), Bertram Allen (Ireland), Constant Van Paesschen (Belgium), Grégory Wathelet (Belgium) and Steve Guerdat (Switzerland), who are all ranked among the Top 20 in the world. Portugal’s Luciana Diniz will be participating once again this year alongside Australian Edwina Tops Alexander, while Jessica Springsteen will compete at Grand Palais for the first time with fellow Americans Laura Kraut and Reed Kessler. An event regular since its beginnings, Pilar Lucrecia Cordon Muro will represent Spain, and Hermès as a rider-partner.
For the fifth year running, the Paris competition will host the Talents Hermès classes. In this event, twenty U-25 riders showing promise on the international equestrian stage will be joined by their elders in the three dedicated classes.
The Schedule of Saut Hermés
Full list of participating riders
Source: Press release
