CHEVAL PASSION AVIGNON 2013 A PASSION FOR THE OF PROVENCE By Bridget McArdle McKinney A BREED OF ANCIENT ORIGINS, SHORT, STRONG AND STOCKY, THE CAMARGUE OF THE RHONE DELTA MARSHLANDS OF PROVENCE, TAKES A UNIQUE PLACE IN HISTORY – FROM PROUD IMAGES FOUND IN PREHISTORIC CAVE PAINTINGS DATING THOUSANDS OF YEARS TO THE BUILDING OF THE SUEZ CANAL IN THE 19TH CENTURY AND TODAY ON CENTER STAGE AT CHEVAL PASSION 2013.

44 LOOKING BEHIND THE SCENES: and practice, groom and polish, fret Some of the French breeds we saw and fuss. This was the time for the there in the show , which are We returned once again this January horse breeders and sellers to start recognized by the French national to enchanting Avignon to attend its showing their wares and striking their , the Haras Nationaux, include: annual horse fair, Cheval Passion (for bargains and for the performers to our report on last year’s fair, please get in one more drill, just one more The Ardennes: Probably a descendant see HT Issue 38, “A Passion for run-through before the big day. of the Solutré breed, the Ardennes is Horses”). But instead of experiencing one of the oldest breeds of horses the adrenaline rush and excitement in . From Roman times to We started in the horse breeders’ of the ‘Big Show’ on the weekend the nineteenth century, this breed barns: one for Iberian breeds; one with the brilliantly lit and costumed has responded to the needs of for Arabs, Barbs, Lippizaners, and horse cabarets and spectacles set war and agriculture. Hardiness, to music, the pomp of the National Sherpa Paca; and one for the home- sobriety, obedience, strength and Riding School and the Republican grown breeds. It was here where we endurance are still its main qualities. Guard cavalry, and the crowd-awing experienced the French love of the horse sports, we decided to come by produce of the place, like local wine The : Strongly related to the a little early and take a look behind the and cheese, lovingly and proudly type Auxois, it is the result scenes. produced products of their particular of cross-breeding a local “Burgundy” terroir. with the standard Ardennes, Trait du This time we watched the horse and, especially in the north, trainers, owners, and riders prepare HOME-GROWN FRENCH BREEDS: with some infusions of and

45 Boulogne in the nineteenth century. the most famous and most successful recognized and romantic of the Today, breeding is limited to the result of the mating of Norfolk unique French breeds developed. In large Ardennais and . imported from Britain and Leon . these fair barns we saw the best that This cross bore the “Postman Breton” the sea, marsh, dunes, wind and air The Boulogne: This breed of horse whose fame spread worldwide. produced in the Camargue, the sturdy is mentioned in chronicles from the and majestic of seventeenth century and some trace The Norman Cob: The origin of Provence. the origin of this breed to the cavalry the Norman Cob breed follows of Julius Caesar, raised in eastern the Carrossier line until the mid- For many people, the Camargue

Numidia and herded in 54 BCE near twentieth century. In the early evokes an enduringly beautiful and Boulogne for the war crossing to nineteenth century the importation fantastic image - a herd of wild England. This breed was then re- of Britain’s Norfolk bred to the sturdy greys galloping through the tempered several times during the Carrossière broodstock produced marshlands and over the dunes of the Crusades, the Spanish occupation the excellent blood and confirmation Bouches-du-Rhone. The origin of the and the first French Empire. They of the prestigious Norman Cobb. breed is lost in the mists of time. It is distinguish two types of Boulogne. reliably postulated that the Camargue The first type called “fishmongers”; The Trait du Nord: The Trait du Nord is one of the oldest breeds in the world, lightweight, tough, very popular in is descended from the family of the its painted image captured by radio- the seventeenth and eighteenth Ardennes crossed with the Trait carbon dating in the caves of southern centuries for the rapid transport of fish Belgian, which produced its size, France as long ago as 30,000 BCE from Boulogne-sur-Mer to . The weight, extra strength, and elegance (the Upper Paleolithic period). Its second is a large and powerful horse, and Trait Boulonnais, which provided severe environment produced traits fashioned in the nineteenth century to its temperament. It was not until of endurance, agility, and strength for work on sugar beet land and cartage. 1910 that the northern Ardennes which it is known to this very day. established its independence Le Breton: The Breton horse today is as the Trait du Nord breed. Domesticated by the sea-faring the result of a long process of selection Phoenicians, its development was made by breeders from old varieties THE CAMARGUE OF PROVENCE: encouraged by Julius Caesar in the of native horses. Many crosses were 1st Century BCE. The breed was made in the eighteenth and nineteenth But it was quite near here, near exploited throughout the centuries to improve these varieties, to Avignon, that one of the most in the Rhone Delta area and, later, 46 recruited the Camargue to adulthood, their hair coat becomes horse has long legs which are well to outfit his large army. It was truly ever more intermingled with white proportioned, strong and resistant, amazing to learn, also, that this hairs until it is completely white. They with large knees and hocks. Their rugged breed was put into service in are small horses, generally standing hooves are hard and tough, with the building of Egypt’s Suez Canal in 135–150 centimetres (13.1–14.3 1865! hands) at the withers, and weighing soles that are large and wide, suited 350 to 500 kg (770 to 1,100 lb).[2] to its original marshy habitat. The Camarguaise culture revolves Despite their small size, they have around livestock and, in particular, the strength to carry grown adults. The calm temperament and

the horses. The Camargue cow Considered rugged and intelligent, athleticism of the Camargue horse and bull herders, the Gardians they have a short neck, deep chest, has made it a popular choice for and Gardiannes, live their ancient compact body, well-jointed, strong equestrian games, , and traditions in the present day through limbs and a full and . long distance riding. their food, clothing, music, dance and festivals. I asked my husband The head has many similarities to the We really enjoy the Avignon horse why there were so many people at . It is often heavy, square fair. Every year we see and learn the Avignon horse fair dressed up and expressive, with bright, wide-set something new and amazing. On our like Western ‘cowboys’. He said that eyes, a straight profile, flat forehead the Western ‘cowboys’ are probably day at the fair before the ‘big day’ we and well-chiseled cheek bones.The dressed up like the Gardians, whose trod the grounds with the anxious ears are small, short, and set well leather chaps, wide-brimmed crushed owners, sellers, performers, and apart. The is full. The breed felt hats, lassos, and roweled spurs has a neck of medium length with an traders, marveled over the unique sailed across to the Americas with the French horse breeds, and ended our early Spanish explorers. abundant mane. The chest is deep and wide, and the shoulder is powerful day back home on the sea with some wine from our ‘terroir”. According to research, Camargue and muscular. The withers are defined horses are always gray. This means but not exaggerated. The Camargue that they have black skin underlying a horse has a medium length back, Contributing sources: L’Office white hair coat as adult horses. They well-supported, and a slightly sloping de Tourisme d’Avignon, Cheval are born with a hair coat that is black or full croup, well-muscled hindquarters, Passion Dossier de Press, Haras dark brown in colour, but as they grow and a low set, full tail. The Camargue Nationaux, Wikipedia 47