The actionpacked Jumping International de la Baule — Officiel de France, which will take place at the François André Stadium from 8 to 11 June 2023, promises Sport with a capital S from the first day until the apotheosis of the Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule on Sunday. A wild ride for the riders and for the public.
SPORT : HIGHLIGHTS
Thursday, 8 June – Prix FFE
The opening day is an opportunity for the riders and their horses to get a feel for the venue, but it also gives them the chance to shine from the getgo. A stellar performance in the Prix FFE comes with a ticket in the Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule on Sunday —a big incentive for everyone.
Friday, 9 June Barrière Nations Cup
The Nations Cup has been making the crowds go wild for decades. For just one event, equestrian sports morph from an individual sport into a team one and unleash a cocktail of emotions. With ten teams slated to start the first round, each competition can tip the scales in the fight for a spot in the second one, as only the top 8 teams will advance to the next round. The prospect of the Jumping European Championship in Milan (29 August to 3 September) will amp up the excitement and allow the national coaches to assess the combinations in play to devise their strategies.
Saturday, 10 June Derby Région Pays de la Loire
The Derby Région Pays de la Loire is part and parcel of the heritage of equestrian sports. Water crossings, uphill and downhill banks, mounds and other natural obstacles usually found on a crosscountry course… a derby is unique. Made in the image of the Officiel de France, the Derby Région Pays de la Loire is one of only two derbies held in the context of a CSIO5*. The Brazilian Nelson Pessoa, a fivetime winner between 1975 and 1995, is a towering figure in the history of the event. A twotime Olympic gold medallist, Pierre Jonquères d’Oriola, also added his name to the honour roll with Lutteur B in 1965, a year after his Olympic gold in Tokyo. Threetime winner Patrice Delaveau, last crowned in 2019, remains the most recent French champion. With over twenty contests, the Derby Région Pays de la Loire is one of the highlights of the weekend and keeps the public of La Baule buzzing with anticipation.
Saturday, 10 June Prix Saur
Following the emotions of the Derby Région Pays de la Loire, the spectators in the François André Stadium will savour the thrills of the Prix Saur, which has the second largest purse of any individual event. Last year, the Swiss Martin Fuchs, then the world number one, emerged victorious on The Sinner from a jumpoff featuring eleven combinations. The Frenchman Mathieu Billot also clambered onto the podium, three tenths of a second behind the winner. As well as awarding valuable points for the world ranking, the Prix Saur is also a lastminute opportunity for some combinations to earn a ticket to the Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule, scheduled for the next day.
Sunday 11 June Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule
The list of winners of the Grand Prix de La Baule, held on Sunday, is a who’s who of the history of equestrian sports. Olympic gold medallists such as the Canadian Eric Lamaze and his fabulous mount, Hickstead; the legendary combination of Pierre Durand and Jappeloup, who tasted glory in the François André Stadium in 1987; world champions such as the Frenchman Eric Navet, the Belgian Jos Lansink and the German Simone Blum; European champions such as Alexandra Ledermann and RogerYves Bost; World Cup winners, etc., The honour roll of the Grand Prix de La Baule gives a sense of this largerthanlife event. Come Sunday, 11 June, the 50 riders on the start list will be dreaming of succeeding the Canadian Beth Underhill, who took the spoils last year. The French, often electrified by the atmosphere in La Baule, can count on the unconditional support of the home crowds in their attempt to shine and, perhaps, even follow in the footsteps of Nicolas Delmotte, the last victorious Blue Jacket, who won on Urvoso du Roch in 2021.
A POSTER BY OLIVIER JOUANNETEAU
In equestrian sports, tradition dictates that the poster of a competition should be a work of art and a real collector’s item for those who live and breathe horse riding.
Olivier Jouanneteau, an animal artist and former member of the French national show jumping team for almost a decade, was commissioned to create the poster of the 2023 Jumping International de La Baule — Officiel de France. Among other successes, he and his mare Uelème took the 2002 World Cup in Bordeaux and picked up a great deal of international victories, with the 2001 Nations Cup in Rotterdam as their crowning achievement.
“I felt very flattered when they asked me to draw this poster. It’s my very first poster for a competition. I’m honoured. I have very fond memories of La Baule, where I came several times, with three participations in the Grand Prix. I also entered the Derby at a time when it was a particularly tough competition. This poster is the result of an intense dialogue with the organisers. We wanted to bring the symbols of the event together in a single picture. You can see the grandstands of the stadium, of course, but also the redandwhite obstacle in the colours of the Derby, the hortensias and its signature pines. The good thing about drawings is that you can create extremely beautiful horses and make them jump high up. The one in the picture is clearing the obstacle by a wide margin! You can also see the French flag and the Blue Jacket. The Jumping International de la Baule — Officiel de France is one of the top competitions in the world, so it was important to make sure our colours were visible.”
Olivier Jouanneteau will be on hand throughout the fourday event. You can admire his works at his stand in the heart of the exhibitors’ village. His paintings will also be exhibited across the competition’s VIP hospitality areas.