Bordeaux, France – January 29, 2025 – The Olympic flame went out in Paris, but in Bordeaux, the love of equestrian sport burns on forever. The podium at the FEI Longines 2024 World Cup Grand Prix in Bordeaux was taken by two future medallists from Versailles, Steve Guerdat (individual silver) and Harry Charles (team gold). How many of the twelve Olympic medallists from August will be in Bordeaux next February? And how many of the eventing medallists? There will certainly be many, because great sportsmen and women love Bordeaux.
Sport at its best is the hallmark of the Jumping International de Bordeaux. But this major event is also the Salon du Cheval: demonstrations and presentations, amateur competitions, debates at the Forum Santé Equine and much more. Magali Delgado and Frédéric Pignon, with their show Sueño, will highlight the beauty of the human-horse bond in a ballet of complicity during the opening evening show on Thursday, 6 February.
The Longines FEI World Cup, the Soul of Showjumping
With a final in Europe (in Basel, Switzerland, from 2 to 6 April), the FEI Longines World Cup will be the centre of attention and sporting motivation in 2025. And the Swiss will be first! But there will be many candidates, and for the time being only the defending champions, Henrik von Eckermann and his King Edward, have qualified. The others will have to earn their ticket to Basel on the fourteen-stage circuit, and, strategically, Bordeaux, the thirteenth stop, is a crucial class in this respect. This explains the traditionally high-quality lineup at the Jumping International de Bordeaux since 1978.
Sport: the Elite or Nothing!
Sport at the Jumping International de Bordeaux isn’t just about jumping! From Friday, the stands will be full to the rafters to applaud and cheer on the stars of eventing at the Devoucoux Indoor Derby, now in its tenth year.
Although local rider Benjamin Massie won it last year (ahead of the future Olympic champion), victory is most often decided between Olympic riders. Germany’s Michael Jung, gold medallist for the fourth time in Versailles and twice winner in Bordeaux, will probably be in the running. But it is the team silver medallist, France’s Karim Laghouag, who has the most wins in this popular class (four out of nine), and he wouldn’t miss Bordeaux for the world.
Driving: the Revenge of a World Champion
The elite of the driving world will also be in Bordeaux, where the final of the FEI World Cup will be held. For several years now, the battle has been between the Dutchman Bram Chardon (last year’s winner) and the Australian Boyd Exell, who was very upset by his defeat, which deprived him of an eleventh title in twenty-three editions. The Australian, who recently won the outdoor title for the seventh time in Szilvásvárad (Hungary), will be keen to avenge this affront in the indoor class in Bordeaux next February. It promises to be an exciting battle.
Sueño, a Waking Dream
“The strength of the bond” (the title of one of their books): this is what enables Magali Delgado and Frédéric Pignon to put on a show called Sueño with their Iberian horses, born and bred in their own backyard. But Sueño is more than just an equestrian demonstration: it’s a real show, where magic comes to life under the spotlights. Fascinating lighting effects and spellbinding music combine with the grace of the horses to transport the audience! To train the horse by persuasion and not by force. Achieving the most beautiful things a horse can give you through complicity and by speaking the same language that you have taken the trouble to understand. Since 1993, they have been delighting audiences all over the world, touring Spain, the Caribbean, France, the United States, Canada and Europe. Now it’s the turn of the Jumping International de Bordeaux public to experience this show on Thursday, 6th February.
In the second half of the evening, dressage will once again take centre stage with the third edition of the “Dressage Battle”, a show specially created by the Jumping International de Bordeaux. Two teams of three international riders will challenge each other to perform high school figures. It’s a show in which the elite of dressage will shake up the codes of their discipline and redefine the perfection of dressage.
The Salon du Cheval: Equestrianism in All its Facets
The Salon du Cheval in Bordeaux has become one of the most important horse shows in France, offering everyone a real living space to share their passion. A place where you can find riding equipment and materials. But the Salon du Cheval is also a place to pamper yourself and take care of your horse, with a special range of care and feeding products and a conference area at the Equine Health Forum. At the heart of the show is sport for young and old, with a programme of initiations and demonstrations on the Carrière Silvana and for amateur riders on the Piste Baloubet, with more than twenty classes over the four days of the show.Since 1978, the Jumping International de Bordeaux has been the must-attend equestrian event at the start of the season. It’s the place to be for everyone who loves sport and horses: riders, drivers and the general public all come together to share the same passion for horses. See you from 6 to 9 February 2025!
Source: Press Release from Agence R&B Presse for Jumping International de Bordeaux
Photos: © Jumping International de Bordeaux / Artiste Associé / Ingrid Wild
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