Horse riding: ''The only international Jumping in Occitanie'', recalls Nathalie Favede, from Centaure in Nîmes

''It doesn't have to be restrictive. Otherwise, it's poorly organized.''

From Wednesday 8 to Sunday 12 May 2024, on the Centaure quarry in Nîmes, the club's flagship meeting will take place, with a CSI ** as the highlight. A few days before the event, organizer Nathalie Favede does not feign her happiness.

Since 2004, the year of its creation, the Nîmes Centaure equestrian center has grown significantly. Until arriving, since 2022, to organize a CSI **, ''the only international Jumping in the Occitanie region'', note, quite her joy, Nathalie Favede, at the genesis of the creation of the center with her husband, Alain. From May 8 to 12, the Centaur Quarry will look like a trail to the stars.

How far we have come in twenty years. What does this inspire you??

It’s simply a logical continuation of what we created as a family, the Centaur. With my husband and my children, Tom and Lou, who help me enormously in organizing the takeover of the Centaure.
At the beginning, we started our competitions with small local, departmental, then national competitions. To arrive at this 3rd edition of International Jumping.

What does this event mean for the club?

There, we have figures of world-famous French riders (Deseuzes, Boisset, Dreyfus, Du Couédic, Grugeon, Lavigne, Giffon…), who are jumping on CSI *** and who are going to come attend this competition. It’s very interesting to have this kind of riders with us, it’s prestigious for everyone. This Jumping remains the flagship event of the year.

''I would like to underline this loyalty of volunteering, which is quite impressive"

Here is the Centaur well anchored in the French show jumping landscape. We imagine the pride ?

We are lucky to have, here, a site which is naturally prestigious, with the Nîmes scrubland, and a prestigious city. It’s very interesting for riders. When they move, if it can be in a city steeped in history, it’s even more interesting.

We can imagine the colossal organization for this meeting (see box) ?

It’s dense, but it’s super pleasant. It’s always with great pleasure that I organize this type of event. Moreover, it must not be restrictive, otherwise it is poorly organized. We are passionate. Thank you to all the partners (15) and volunteers (20), who responded, it’s really a pleasure. Without a partner or volunteer, we cannot organize. I would like to underline this loyalty of volunteering, which is quite impressive within the Centaure competition association.

What are your other projects?

The objective is to still be able to continue to do a Tour next year, an international competition again ** but over two weeks, which would allow more foreigners to come. This is the forecast for 2025. And as we are in good progress and constantly evolving, I think that we will continue with “twice, two weeks” per year until I can, one day, I hope, reach a *** level.

Montpellier Harold Boisset will defend his title in the CSI**

COMPETITION – 300 riders, 8 nationalities, 350 horses, 26 classes (from 1.10 m to 1.45 m), more than 10,000 spectators in five days, the party promises to be great, from Wednesday May 8 to Sunday May 12, at the Centaure. ''There will be two “rankings” (events at 1.45 m, on Friday and Sunday ), very well endowed (28,000 €)'', explains Favède. In Nîmes, Montpellier Harold Boisset will defend his title during the CSI**. With the competition and the Nîmes in ambush: ''Lou, my daughter, is walking very hard at the moment. Tom (his son, winner in 2022) is very involved in the organization. Both are international *** riders and also have their chance.''

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