The Cavalcade des Peuples
was an excellent show of horsemanship performed by the riders of the Haras in Cluny. It took us round the world in 90 minutes, from Spain to Argentina, Japan to England and Ireland. The girls went through their very brave routines on the most beautiful horses. Their speciality is handling the horses without saddles and bridles, and also riding with two horses, a foot on each. The horses are so biddable and never put a foot wrong. I wished I could show more photos but they were always galloping around too fast.
We regretted not having the meal while watching the show. It looked absolutely delicious. Note to self: from now on take the meal option. The cuisine in Burgundy is the best.
Showjumping at Cluny
For the last four days Cluny has been taken over by horses. Over 700 of them aged 4,5 and 6 years are taking part in the inter regional competition which will qualify them to enter the National Finals for young horses in Fontainebleau. The event also includes tests and training to prepare them for their future careers.
I still cannot believe that we live a just a few km away from one of the most exciting venues for horses in Europe. This afternoon two jumping competitions were in full swing at the Equivallée. You can wander round or sit and watch wherever you like. I am always interested to watch the horses in the practice rings and mingle with the owners and riders.
The Haras promises many events for this special year of the Cluny 2010 celebrations. On Tuesdays evenings of 3rd, 10th and 17th August there is the Cavalcade des Peuples, staged in the courtyard of the magnificent Haras stables. This is a procession of carriages and costumes depicting the life of the horse in different countries which promises to circumnavigate the world in 90 minutes. The stunt riders will do their utmost to impress with their daring acts, perhaps in the roles of cowboys, picadors and cossacks.
There are plenty of horse shows at the Equivallée in Cluny during the summer, not forgetting the horse racing at the Hippodrome on the 7th and 22nd August.
By the way, have you noticed those black clouds in the photo? The last few days have been a welcome relief from hot sunshine and temperatures in the 30s. The garden has greatly appreciated the downpours and the melons and courgettes are growing like Topsy.
Horses watching the hillclimb
Although I enjoy watching horses taking part in events I find I am much more interested in their behaviour when they are not under control of their riders or are just doing their own thing in their fields.
The weekend’s big event was the National Hillclimb which took place just over the top of our hill at Donzy. The road up from Azé is steep and winding with hairpin bends, perfect for rallying. The best place to watch is by the bends as the cars have to drastically slow down and often skid. The noise is terrific with a great deal of backfiring from the engines. Amazingly there were horses watching at the gate, showing great interest, and the nearby cows were unperturbed, as if they were grazing a peaceful alpine meadow.
This afternoon we watched the horseracing at the Hippodrome at Cluny. There were flat races, trotting, a steeplechase and cross country. The latter was by far the most exciting and the most dangerous. Two jockeys fell off crossing the river before the race had even started. Other jockeys soon parted from their mounts attempting to negotiate some fearsome obstacles. The loose horses hugely enjoyed charging along with the rest then decided to canter off towards a herd of riding school horses whose field adjoined the race track. These took off and were galloping up and down one side of the fence with the racehorses on the other. They all must have thought this great fun until the stable lads eventually caught up with the escapees and took them back to the stables. Horses certainly know how to enjoy themselves!
Showjumping at Cluny
Cluny is very much a town devoted to horses. The focal point is the Haras, one of the many horse breeding centres which were founded by Napoleon to improve the stock for the military. Of the five remaining Haras Nationaux Cluny is the oldest and most established. The stables are in a magnificent building that was built using some of the stone from the Abbey. On certain afternoons you can tour the stables and admire the stallions. There are an amazing variety of breeds, from little Irish connemaras to arabs and percherons. Some of the horses are retired racing champions. The aim is still to encourage the improvement of bloodstock in France so for a small fee anybody can breed their own mares with the stud horses.
Nowadays, besides breeding horses, the Haras is involved in various horse events. At the Hippodrome you can watch the popular trotting races and steeplechasing. Next door is a école d’équitation where young riders are trained.
The jewel in Cluny’s crown is the new Equivallée, the new showjumping facility next to the Haras. During the winter we watched months of work to build two all weather rings. There are also two practice rings and the original grass ring. A huge area of stabling has been erected at the other side of the main road and a new set of traffic lights allows the horses to cross over to the enclosures. Cluny has become one of the most popular show jumping venues in France.
The Grand National, a four day showjumping event, ended this afternoon with a competition between the top riders in France. You could just in go and watch, there are no gates or entry fees. We stationed ourselves by the water jump, close enough to see the fear in the eyes of the horses as they leapt over. La rivière caused several refusals as horses dislike water. So did a fence with a solid yellow board instead of fence posts. I was told that horses prefer jumps that look more natural.
Most weekends during the summer there is something horsey going on. I am looking forward to Le Cheval et l’Abbaye which is to be staged in September for the Cluny 2010 celebrations. In this spectacle eighty horses will re-enact their role in the history of the Abbey. And spectacular I am sure it will be.
 "The chateau at Pierreclos")