arena, complete with glass of wine and breadbasket with a crusty baguette, the rider picked up a canter and jumped it. When he had stopped, he returned to the table and, taking the wine glass in one hand, reins in the other, made a toast to the audience and then took a sip! I wasn’t exactly sure what was being set up next, so I waited and watched. While I’ve seen my fair share of “skinny” jumps in the Big Eq, the one that the ground crew set up for the horse and rider was beyond belief. A pole, no more than eight inches wide and over three and half feet high, was placed horizontally in the center of the ring. Not only did they jump the single pole straight on, but they went on to success- fully navigate a similar obstacle as a double and triple bar, set in one line! We were truly impressed, and yes, completely in awe. After the show, we toured the
facility and stables, along with hundreds of other visitors. It is huge and includes 50 stables, 15 outdoor arenas, 50 kilometers of sand gallops and 400 horses cared for by 70 grooms. New technology is integrated in the stables, with overhead pipes automatically dropping feed and water into each horse’s box four times a day. The stalls, bedded with straw instead of shavings, are done the old fashioned way, but the waste is removed via an under- ground conveyor belt that dumps ten tons daily onto the manure mountain, which is then recycled by the surround- ing mushroom farms. Though I’d seen some unusual things during the show, the skinny being high on the list, I was once again surprised when a lovely grey, which could easily have been a brother of my mare, trotted by on a leadline, led by a young man on a bicycle. Note to self: don’t try this at home!
More Tours (Plus de Tours) Leaving the stables behind, we next headed to the forti- fied Chateau de Saumur’s Musée du Cheval (horse museum), which recounts the history of riding from antiquity to the twentieth century. I was enthralled by the details of the craftsmanship, including the ornately carved stirrups and the beautifully stitched and decorated saddles and bridles. I was equally intrigued and slightly appalled by some of the antiquities on display, including the pizza-cutter sized, razor- sharp spurs and massive bits that could, no joke, stop a truck in its tracks! The day was not over, and the best (at least for me) was
yet to come. After stopping for lunch at a creperie in Saumur, we headed back out of town for a visit to Butet Sellier. I’ve been a devotee of Butet saddles since I first rode in one at
The Oaks years ago and it remains my preferred saddle. I’m not alone in my appreciation—it is the saddle of choice for show jumping icons Eric Lamaze, Chris Kappler, Will Simpson, Michael Whitaker and George Morris. The new co-owners Arnaud Lievre and Olivier Pedrix
joined forces with founder Frederic Butet four years ago. Monsieur Lievre was kind enough to invite us to the head- quarters for a private tour. I was thrilled. There were all sorts of saddles on display in the foyer—the classic flat seat, the new stitched premium model, a black dressage saddle, a cross-country saddle, an endurance option and even a racing version and an ancient wooden saddle (for display only, not for riding I was assured) that looked like it came from the Musée du Cheval.
First-Class Saddles (Selles de Première Classe) Our tour began with Mr. Lievre recounting the history of the company, which began on the banks of the Loire river in 1985. Then we entered the factory, styled like an indoor arena, where I learned how my own saddle was actually made. There were employees everywhere, measuring, stitching, cutting and assembling saddles. On one side there was an entire wall piled with layers of beau- tiful leather skins, which had under- gone months of tanning, cutting and drying. “It is true that this is the most expensive leather in the world,” explained Mr. Lievre. “Even so, we discard approximately 40 percent as we do not feel it is up to Butet standards.” I learned about the eight-month tanning process, how the
skins are piled and soaked in a mixture of water and ground oak bark, and how they go through a series of biochemical reactions and other technical steps. Then they are drained, sorted, suspended and dried, and still, they are not done. There is next a succession of manual and mechanical opera- tions until finally the leather is ready for use. Everything, from start to finish, is made in France. Mr. Lievre explained that while Butet has been leading
the way for 30 years, it stays true to the original principles of saddle design, while also using innovative new materials to make the best saddle possible. I got a sneak peek at the new, technically advanced tree, which I learned will make the saddle both lighter and stronger. “Frederic Butet knew that his saddles had to offer the perfect union between rider and horse and provide comfort while enhancing performance,” explained Mr. Lievre. “When he began, saddles were mainly
Left: More horses demonstrating their beautiful training. Notice the wine glass raised in the second horse after having jumped a dinner table. Right: Alex stands with Arnaud Lievre during her tour at Butet Saddlery. Below is one of their craftsmen hand stitching a saddle.
Warmbloods Today 29
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