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Clockwise from left,
As well as dressage,
the Cadre Noir trains
its horses to jump;
the dancing horses
grace the cover of
Paris’s illustrated
daily paper in 1923;
the Cadre Noir on
parade inVersailles,
1983; our lucky writer
Marie Cleland
Knowles on Laozi
d’Orion at the Cadre
Noire centre in
Saumur, France
for its performances. At the Portuguese School of
Equestrian Art – established by King João V in 1748
to breed Lusitano horses for use in the bullfighting
ring – the same haute école skills are employed, but
for a different purpose. The newest school, the Royal
Andalusian School of Equestrian Arts, founded in
Jerez de la Frontera in 1973, also prepares riders for
international sporting competitions. Its mission,
however, is to preserve the Andalusian horse, which,
thanks to its flowing mane and elegant gait is often
used in films. The Cadre Noir uses Selle Français and
Anglo-Arab breeds for their strength and stamina.
Of all the schools, Saumur’s has the most extensive
grounds and I’m lucky enough to receive an extensive
tour on my visit. Set in beautiful countryside, with the
Loire river flowing nearby, the centre has 300 hectares
of stables, arenas and tracks – and with 400 animals
in training at any one time, there is a constant bustle
of riders and horses.
The latter start their classical training at the age of
four. By the time the horse is six, its riding master will
have decided its speciality, and only the strongest will
perform the haute école “airs” (high jumps).
I’m exhausted just watching, but to actually become
a Cadre Noir riding master is a seriously arduous
task. Candidates have to be under 30 to take the
entrance examination, but their résumé will already
read something like this: three years at university,
four years training as a riding teacher under the Cadre
Noir, experience working as a riding teacher and
sporting acclaim at an international level. Only then
can they sit the rigorous test, during which they will
also be judged on their motivation and ability to work
as part of a team. Once qualified, each riding master
will then spend up to eight hours a day in the saddle.
Aside from the fatigue of long hours spent training,
the riders also face the constant threat of injury. The
fast, flicking movements of the horse, and the heights
to which they leap demands precision and many years
of experience on the part of the rider.
But that’s why it makes for such a spectacular show –
and I’m treated to one such demonstration later that
day. Even with the adrenalin still pulsing through me
frommy close encounter with Laozi, it’s a spellbinding
sight to watch horse and rider stride into the arena in
perfect time to classical music. And guess what? My
anxiety disappears completely. I’m caught up in the
magic of the dance.
Tours of the Cadre Noir complex are held Monday to
Saturday, with a one-hour performance on selected
Thursday and Saturday mornings. cadrenoir.fr
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