SADDLE UP

Saut Hermès 2024 puts the French house's fine craftsmanship and savoir faire in its toughest arena yet-the competition ring.

- SHAMILEE VELLU

As far as interview settings go, this is pretty spectacular. I'm perched on a tiny table next to a huge glass window looking out onto Paris's Champ de Mars, a large park flanked by treelines that converge dramatically on the Eiffel Tower. It's a fittingly stunning location for Saut Hermès, held this March from the 15th to the 17th and one of the most important events in the international equestrian calendar. First organised in 2010 by French luxury design house Hermès, the prestigious event draws the world's best show jumpers to Paris every year (save during its hiatus in 2020 and 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic), where they compete in the CSI 5* competition-the highest category classified by the French Equestrian Federation and the International Equestrian Federation.

A SHOW UNLIKE ANY OTHER

"There is no show like Saut Hermès," declares Chloé Nobecourt, the Director of Hermès's Equestrian Metier, who is herself a long-time rider and has not missed a single edition of the event since joining Hermès in 2013. There's an unmistakable genteel grandeur to the event, which hits you the moment you enter its temporary home of Grand Palais Éphémère, a sustainably built interim building located between the Ecole Militaire and the Eiffel Tower. (Saut Hermès is usually held in the Grand Palais, which is being renovated.) This year, more than 75 riders from 20 different countries and over 130 horses are here to compete on a series of courses.

Created by designer Santiago Varela Ullastres, these comprise colourful obstacles featuring striped poles as well as whimsically styled supports resembling chess pieces and the Pegasus. There is even a low wall recreating the facade of Hermès's iconic 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré flagshipappropriate, given that this year's theme is 'The Spirit of the Faubourg'. Custom-made sand covers the arena, protecting horses' legs and keeping the surface uniform for all competitors.