The International Jumping is the event of the year in Blaye! For more than 40 years, horse enthusiasts, top athletes and novices have gathered for four days in the moat of the Blaye citadel to attend the competition for some or the show for others.
This is because here, you are on the land of the famous horse Jappeloup who won the gold medal in 1988 at the Seoul Olympic Games. Jappeloup and his breeder Henri Delage, one of the initiators of Jumping de Blaye, have been in the minds of volunteers and organizers since the beginning of this show jumping competition.
Jumping is a sporting competition like nowhere else but it is also a state of mind. A family spirit because the volunteers grew up together and saw the competition evolve: first national in 1983 then international since 1997. Under the kindness of Titou Valleys until 2000 and Gilles Vallaeys today, the youngest are proud to take up the torch!
Our volunteers are back and they will be ready. They will ensure the staging with enthusiasm and kindness, the score will be well played.
All the spectators, whether horse enthusiasts or not, athletes or simply strollers, are captivated by the spectacle, the atmosphere, the setting… The competition takes place at the foot of the Royal Gate of the Blaye Citadel , in the fortress's moat. The ramparts are illuminated for the occasion, and spotlights are installed to light up the arena where the jumping poles are placed one after another. Between each event, volunteers bustle about, judges take measurements, glasses clink among friends, and horses paw the ground in the paddock…
Then comes the Baréme A test at the 135cm time trial or that of the CSI1* with progressive difficulties at 120cm. At each jump, the crowd stationed around the track, under the VIP tivoli or on the ramparts, holds their breath! Seeing the rider and the horse become one is beautiful even if you don't know anything about horse riding. We all thrill together at the efforts of the horse and the prowess of the rider. At the end of the lap, the thunderous applause ringing against the wall proves it!
Show jumping is also about camaraderie and tradition! Don't miss the Saint Hubert's Day mass on Sunday morning, accompanied by the hunters, and above all, enjoy the various food stalls at the event. At the end of the competition, the Blaye citadel is ablaze with the Bastille Day fireworks display launched from the ramparts near the Porte Dauphine, facing the town center.
Themes
