Hermès: From saddler to horse whisperer

MANILA, Philippines - PARIS — A whiff of expensive leather greets your nostrils as you enter the vast Grand Palais in Paris, venue of the Saut Hermès 2011 horse-riding competition from April 15 to 17 this year. Straight ahead, a statue of the winged horse is poised to take flight. Look around, the instantly recognizable logo and bright orange are in every direction. Welcome to Hermès land!

The savvy luxury brand has revived yet another abandoned Parisian tradition — equestrian sports in the very heart of Paris! The celebrated show-jumping event, an annual gathering since 1901, saw its last day in 1957. Until last year, when Hermès made a first attempt to bring it back, a vastly successful event attracting 12,000 spectators. This year brought an even bigger audience, confirming its place once again in the yearly sports and social calendar.

Saut Hermès 2011, (“saut” is “jump” and pronounced “saw”), brought together 35 of the world’s best riders competing in five jumping events graded CSI 5* by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the sole controlling authority for the sport. Countries from Europe, North and South America and Australia sent national teams.

A new event was added this year, Les Talents Hermès, which brought together 14 of the best European newcomers under the age of 25. Divided into teams of two riders of the same nationality, they chose a coach from among their older counterparts who acted “like mentors responsible for managing their team,” explains Michel Robert, equestrian champion and advisor for Saut Hermès. This sponsorship/apprenticeship principle of passing on acquired knowledge and experience between generations is a cherished core value at Hermès.

Horsing around: Horse trainer Jean-François Pignon presented a choreographed show of white horses galloping in unison with hardly a cue accompanied by the Ukrainian Kalena Choir in national costume.

“In 2011 Hermès is celebrating the year of the contemporary craftsman — 174 years of design and creation, of know-how handed down from generation to generation, with the same respect and passion for our equestrian roots,” says the company’s chairman Patrick Thomas.

When Thierry Hermès founded his small workshop in 1837, their first products were saddles and harnesses. As success and sales built up, it expanded to cover the full range of riding equipment. With the advent of cars, the house shifted its expertise in leather stitching and cutting towards luggage, handbags, gloves and other accessories, as we know them today. 

But the horse has always been its main source of inspiration, from riding boots to the bags and scarves and the ready-to-wear collections for men and women. 

And the saddle has since come a long way. The Talaris, launched in 2010, marries cutting-edge technology with traditional craftsmanship by replacing wood and metal with carbon and titanium. Today’s saddle is stronger, more durable and a third lighter.

Thus it was a logical step for the house to return to its roots in the show-jumping competition’s original venue. The gigantic Grand Palais, built for the Universal Exposition of 1900, has seen many cultural and artistic exhibitions under its 13,500 square-meter glass-roofed nave.

Orange aid: The horse has always been its main source of Hermès’ inspiration, from riding boots to the bags and scarves and the ready-to-wear collections for men and women.

For the Hermès event, this central arena, unobstructed by pillars, was filled up with sand, just as it was in the first half of the past century. Here, saddle makers hosted demonstrations of their craft, as did silk printers who turned out a special Pegasus scarf in orange and taupe to commemorate the occasion. There were pony rides for younger visitors, a photographic studio where young and old alike could pose on a wooden horse, and for book lovers a specialist equestrian bookshop.

A temporary Hermès shop sold the entire line of riding paraphernalia, equestrian-themed articles, and other limited editions such as the Pegasus scarf and the new Arceau Equestre wristwatches of which only 110 are being sold. The sporty watch features a brown herringbone dial, ebony barenia leather strap and whip-shaped second hand.

A most popular new kid on the block, launched this April, is “Un Jardin sur le Toit” (A Garden on the Rooftop), the fourth in the groundbreaking series of scents inspired by exotic gardens. Created by in-house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, it is summery with refreshing notes of green grass, magnolia, rose, pear, and apple. The rooftop garden referred to sits on top of the Hermès headquarters on 24, Faubourg-Saint-Honoré. Ellena’s other scents in the garden collection evoke the Nile, the Mediterranean and an Indian garden after a monsoon rain.

The savvy luxury brand has revived yet another abandoned Parisian tradition — equestrian sports in the very heart of Paris.

During the three days of the competition, horse trainer Jean-François Pignon presented a choreographed show of his white horses performing intricate figures, galloping in unison with hardly a cue. The Kalena Choir, comprised of some 80 Ukrainian singers and musicians in national costume, provided a bicultural Cossack-sur-Seine counterpoint.

The Republican Guard cavalry regiment opened the final competition round with a carousel of intricate horse formations. Created in 1802, this elite unit of the French army in magnificent plumed helmets and uniforms accompany foreign heads of state as they arrive in the presidential palace.

The Grand Prix Hermès went to both Christian Ahlmann (Germany) with his horse Taloubet Z and Rik Hemeryck (Belgium) with Quarco de Kerambars. It is a rare occurrence in show jumping that two riders score exactly the same points. They shared the total prize money of 200,000 euros with other principal winners.

The Prix de la Ville de Paris went to Alvaro de Miranda (Brazil) with AD Wilbert Z, who is only eight years old, a baby by jumping horse standards. Julien Epaillard (France) with Mister Davier won the Prix du Grand Palais while Eric Yves Bost (France) with Nikyta d’Elle won the Prix GL Events.

The Saut Hermès trophy for the mixed team of one male and female rider went to Nina Fagerstrom (Finland) and Eric Lamaze (Canada) with their respective horses Talent and Hickstead.

The winners in the three Talents Hermès events for the under-25 age group were: Angelica Augustsson (Sweden) with Walter 61, Tobias Meyer (Germany) with Aluta and, for the mixed team prize, Don Kortrink and Patrick van der Schans (Netherlands) with Udor and Tum-Tum, respectively.

Dots elegance: Silk Cheval de Legende scarf. Hermès is located at Greenbelt 4.

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In the Philippines, Herméss is available exclusively at its store in Greenbelt 4, Ayala Center.