Saumur, the capital of horsemanship, recognized by the Euro Equus network as the French city of the horse, training ground for the French equestrian teams, home to the headquarters of the French Institute of the Horse and Riding, its Cadre Noir, but also its 2,000 jobs linked to the sector… Whether economic, touristic or sporting, the elements that shape the Horse DNA of the territory and their challenges are no longer in doubt.
Based on this observation, a policy of general public accessibility to horse riding in all its forms is being implemented by the communities. It is this political will that brought together the Communes of Verrie and Rou-Marson, the City of Saumur, the Saumur Val de Loire Urban Community and the Department of Maine-et-Loire around a joint project guaranteeing the sustainability of equestrian activities in the area and ensuring the preservation of this living heritage.
The Saumur Val de Loire Équestre public-private partnership, known as L'Equestre, will take over the management, maintenance, operation, and promotion of the Verrie Hippodrome site (a protected natural area that hosts national and international outdoor sports events and competitions) on January 1, 2025. On this site, it directly organizes events and also manages the rental of various spaces to other organizers , as well as marketing access to the site for individual riders wishing to use the facilities occasionally for training. L'Equestre also organizes four major events in the region: Saumur Vaulting at the Cadre Noir in Saumur, Saumur Eventing and Saumur Carriage Driving at the Verrie Hippodrome, and the ArtCheval Festival in Saumur and its surrounding area.
The SPL is called upon to act as the horse expert for the territory and thus to contribute to all outreach activities on this theme, drawing on the identity of Saumur as the capital of equestrianism .
