For those who know us and have been following us since our very first articles, you know that our interest in equestrian sports has continued to grow over the years (as early as the blog's second interview, we were already talking about equestrian sports). While we started with eventing, following Veronika Petrackova and Marek Pokorny, we were introduced to horse racing through Sasha Calonne, and now we can proudly say that we know Hunter thanks to Emma Méline.

Some will tell us that it is simply show jumping. In practice, that cannot be denied, but in sport it is completely different. The relationship between rider and horse is the most important element in equestrian sports, yet that relationship requires work and mastery. If we look at dressage, jumping, or racing, the equipment differs, the demands placed upon the horse differ, the riders' positions differ — everything changes. And within each of these disciplines, the techniques vary as well. A race is not managed the same way with or without obstacles, whether those obstacles are natural or artificial, along with many other subtleties.

Imagine having to jump an obstacle while being constrained by a precise number of strides, a specific positioning, or even having to conceal your movements and instructions as much as possible. That is, in simple terms, what Hunter is: a blend of Dressage and Jumping, something more natural for the horse, yet requiring the technical precision of Dressage.

It is the sport that Emma is preparing to dominate.

For the past three years, our great show-jumping hope (whom we already imagined competing beneath the glass roof of the Grand Palais during Saut Hermès — we will come back to that later) has chosen to move toward this more technical discipline.

Competing in Club 1 events, she is already among the best riders in her region while waiting for the French Championships this summer, where she hopes to become one of the best in the country. Last April, at the Étrier de Paris equestrian center, Emma demonstrated the full extent of her abilities. Accompanied by other riders also representing La Cartoucherie, she managed to finish in 7th place out of 19 competitors. Valuable points earned toward qualification for the French Championships mentioned above.

Riding Django, Emma will continue climbing the ranks in the hope of eventually reaching Club Elite competitions.

While waiting for that milestone, we took a closer look at the Longines Global Champions Tour, which will be arriving at the foot of the Eiffel Tower at the same time as the publication of this article.

Our interest was greatly helped by our encounter at Saut Hermès with Gueule d'Amours, which gave us a true appreciation for show jumping.



This five-star competition, one of the most prestigious in the sport, was the first of its kind for the horse owned by Air Pegasus and competing under Écurie de Pégase. Ridden by Alix Ragot, the duo managed to secure a mid-table finish in the Prix Hermès Sellier on the opening day of the event.

With only a single rail down, the pair entered the Prix GL Events the following day with confidence. The performance was very similar, although faster, once again with a rail down. It resulted in another mid-table finish, made slightly more frustrating because a points-paying position appeared within reach.

Finally, on the last day, Alix Ragot and Gueule d'Amours competed in the Grand Saut Hermès, with jumps set 10 centimeters higher than in the previous two classes. A step a little too high for the team representing Air Pegasus.

Since then, competitions have followed one after another, mainly at three- and four-star level, with the objective of rediscovering the sensations experienced at Saut Hermès. Since last May, the last three competitions contested by Gueule d'Amours have all featured obstacles above 145 centimeters.

We hope to see them return to the French capital next year, something that will most likely happen given their recent results on the international stage.