Equestrian school demonstrations, horse-related professions and conferences at Versailles

From September 25 to 27, 2024, the Château de Versailles is hosting the Rencontres Internationales on the theme of"Versailles and equestrian culture from yesterday to today", with a program of conferences, demonstrations by foreign equestrian schools and workshops illustrating the skills of the horse trades, open to all. A particularly topical subject after the equestrian events of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the heart of the park, which highlights the central place of the horse in the history of Versailles.

For a long time, this animal was the only means of transport for European civilization, an importance that led to the development, under Louis XIV at Versailles, of a form of horsemanship that is now part of the French tradition. While the Académie Equestre de Versailles is a good example of this, this time it's the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art from Jerez de la Frontera and the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art from Parques de Sintra who will be offering demonstrations of equestrian art on the Parterre d'Eau, in front of the Château.

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In the château's auditorium, you'll be able to attend lectures on equestrian culture, as well as round-table discussions in the Grande Écurie riding arena with speakers including Bartabas, Guillaume de Seynes, CEO of Hermès, Gaspard Koenig, Thierry Lhermitte, Sophie Nauleau and Juliette Nothomb. In addition to the conferences, many equine-related skills will be presented to the public free of charge by professionals at the Grande Écurie, on September 27 from 9am. Discover the saddlery, wheelwrighting and buckle-making trades!

It's also an opportunity to take advantage of the current exhibition at the château, which runs until November 3, 2024!

Horse in majesty, at the heart of a civilization: nocturnes for the Château de Versailles exhibition
The Château de Versailles plunges us into the world of horses, with an exhibition event organized from July 2 to November 3, 2024. Special evening events are also planned. Come and discover "Cheval en majesté, au cœur d'une civilisation". [Read more]