Horse riding at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: at the Palace of Versailles, the horse is king

With its strong horse-related heritage, the Château de Versailles and its grounds are historically the perfect candidates to host the equestrian events of the Paris 2024 Games. This summer, riders will be trotting in the footsteps of history!

Horse-riding and Versailles have a history that goes back four centuries, one in which Paris 2024 intends to write a magnificent new page. This historical legacy is no stranger to the fact that the Games Organising Committee has selected the Palace of Versailles and its grounds to host the equestrian events of this 33rd modern Olympiad. To understand all of this, let's go back in time and take advantage of the knowledge of Martine Anstett, tour guide for the Versailles Tourist Office and the Académie Equestre de Versailles since its creation in 2003.

A royal story that begins... on horseback

The story of Versailles and the horse really began in the early 17th century, when Henry IV, then Louis XIII and above all Louis XIV took advantage of the lush green spaces in the western part of the capital to go hunting. It was therefore as horsemen that the first kings trod the ground of the future palace park, unknowingly forging an initial link between this land and the animal. Since then, and right up to the present day, horses have always played a part in life in Versailles.

The horse, an instrument of royal political power

Under the Ancien Régime, the horse was much more than just a mode of transport. "You only have to look at the landscape around the palace to see that. The horse is omnipresent. The Place d'Armes, with its huge equestrian statue of Louis XIV, is a perfect example. The gardens are not to be outdone, with the basin of Apollo's chariot and its four horses. These outdoor statues are complemented by those painted indoors (notably the portrait of Louis XIV by Houasse). For the king, these works were what we might now call "political communication", with the horse becoming more than just an artistic element. For the monarch, knowing how to master his horse was an essential asset that enabled him to stand out and prove to his people his ability to govern well," analyses Martine Anstett.

Hunting, a royal equestrian "sport"

The construction of the Grande and Petite Écurie stables at the end of the 17th century marked a new turning point for the equine life of Versailles. From 400 horses in 1680, there were no fewer than 2,208 horses in the royal stables in 1787! This figure may seem excessive, but it should be borne in mind that the animal was used for a wide range of activities: travel, carousels, rides and, of course, hunting (the Bourbon kings went on between 150 and 180 hunting trips a year!). In 1761, no less than 26 riders were in the service of Louis XV, who changed mounts depending on the game being hunted.
Quantity synonymous with quality, as the horses of the sovereign and his court were carefully selected, sometimes well beyond the borders of the kingdom. André Félibien, historiographer and contemporary of the Sun King, wrote: "In the stables of Versailles alone we see something that could only be found elsewhere on long journeys, an admirable elite of horses".

When riding becomes an art

Quantity and quality of horses, but above all, the quality of the rider! Little by little, the Bourbons established new principles in their stables. From 1680 onwards, the Grande and Petite Écurie were home to the new École de Versailles, where "ease and technique were now given priority, in contrast to the more restrictive and warlike methods of the past. The art of dressage, as we know it today, particularly in Olympic and Paralympic competitions, was born here in Versailles", Martine Anstett points out.

An art form that endures over time

The Revolution forced the king and his court to leave the palace on 6 October 1789. This marked the end of the École de Versailles, which disappeared in 1830. Despite this, its precepts, such as the culture of excellence and training, remained. "After 1830 and until the First World War, it was the army and its cavalry that occupied the castle's stables (riding being an integral part of officer education). There was also a short-lived racecourse (from 1864 to 1870) in the Porchefontaine district, and in 1954 the Club Hippique de Versailles was founded, one of the oldest clubs still in existence in France," says the guide.

A new start

It was not until the beginning of the 21st century that a new dynamic was introduced. In 2003, the Académie Équestre de Versailles was created to combine heritage and artistic creation. Its status as a company/school gave a new lease of life to the art of dressage born in Versailles four centuries earlier. On a more sporting level, in 2017, an international jumping event was held in the courtyard of the King's Grande Écurie, in the presence of a number of Olympic champions. A link to the Paris 2024 Games, where dressage, show jumping and eventing are on the programme.

An equestrian competition on the Château de Versailles - not a first time!

It's a fact that the practice of medieval jousting in France was brought to a halt by the fatal accident that struck King Henry II in 1559. This led to the development of other equestrian activities, in particular carrousels, large-scale equestrian shows featuring demonstrations of dressage and handling. Two carrousels were held at the palace at the end of the 17th century, giving the best riders the chance to distinguish themselves in the ring race and the game of heads. In a way, these carrousels were the first equestrian competitions to be held at Versailles (it should be remembered that the notion of sport did not yet exist at that time, as these were primarily recreational activities), four centuries before the Olympic and Paralympic Games were held there.

All in all, hosting the equestrian events of the Paris 2024 Games in Versailles seems like a fitting return to the source, a new addition to the long history of horses in Versailles.

A major exhibition: from 2 July to 3 November, Horse in majesty – at the heart of a civilisation

To coincide with the equestrian events of the Paris 2024 Games, from 2 July to 3 November 2024 the Palace of Versailles is presenting a major exhibition devoted to the horse and equestrian civilisation in Europe. It explores the subject in all its multiple dimensions: political, artistic, diplomatic, scientific, spectacular, real or imaginary. Bringing together over 300 works from public and private collections, both French and mostly international, the exhibition offers a fresh, global perspective on the theme of the horse.