When the pony club officials summoned Antoine’s parents to tell them that their young rider had a chance of qualifying for the French riding championships for under-18s the following summer, in Lamotte-Beuvron ( Loir-et-Cher), their joy was quickly tinged with a certain apprehension.
To accompany his seed of champion to the biggest sporting competition in France, with 14,000 participants over two weeks, the family will have to offer him his own mount. Its acquisition alone will cost 11,000 euros, the average price of a sport horse in 2022 and an increase of 11% over twelve months. The list of additional costs to be expected is long: board, insurance, regular care from a farrier, a veterinarian. On the weekend, to reach the site of the qualifying competitions, the cost of renting a van to transport the horse will be added to the hotel nights on site and the remuneration for the services of a coach, essential for recognition of the route and relaxation of the mount.
Horse riding, a sport for the rich? Paradoxically, it is quite the opposite: horse racing activities have never been so popular in a century. Nearly 700,000 riders take their license each year in a pony club or equestrian center. A number up 12% compared to 2019, which makes this activity the third most practiced sport in France (behind tennis, in second place, and football), and the first for women. A enthusiasm and an investment which irrigate one of the most powerful agricultural, sporting and commercial sectors in France, with, for horse riding alone, a turnover of more than 1 billion euros. In addition, it is exported throughout the world, following in the footsteps of nations historically linked to horses. such as the United States, the United Kingdom or Ireland.
Elitism trial
The 30,000 breeders in France are the first to drive the equestrian sector. They are responsible for renewing a French herd that has stabilized for several years at around 1 million equines. (compared to less than 500,000 in the 1970s). They employ nearly 25,000 people, the vast majority of whom are young people under the age of 30 who work in around forty jobs related to horse maintenance and pony club activity.
For several years now, the largest European event around horses, Equita, which will take place in Lyon, from 1er to November 5, not only offers its 850 exhibitors, mainly French, the opportunity to sell the endless list of accessories necessary for equestrian sports. The show also offers breeders spaces for displaying horses intended for sale. “Every horse is always for sale”we recall at GL Events, the organizer of Equita.
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