Société hippique française

The Société hippique française (SHF) is a French association founded in 1865 and recognised as being of public utility since 16 October 1866 by decree of Emperor Napoleon III. It is the 'Maison Mère' (mother house) of the breeding of sport and leisure horses and ponies in France, recognised and approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty. Its mission is to bring together, structure and develop the various actors of the horse sector in terms of production, valorisation and commercialisation of young sport horses and ponies. As mother society of the young sport and leisure horse and pony, working with the ministry in charge of agriculture, the SHF carries a dual mission: representing the equine agricultural sector and carrying out performance control. Its aim is to conduct, together with the breeding organisations (organismes de sélection, OS) that are its members, a policy promoting the breeding of products from the relevant breeds through characterisation, training, education, valorisation and commercialisation of young sport and leisure horses and ponies in France. The SHF organises and oversees the young horse and pony competition circuits in France, including the Cycle Classique and Cycle Libre for show jumping, as well as dressage, eventing (CCE), driving, endurance and hunter disciplines. It runs the national finals known as the Grandes Semaines, including the Grande Semaine de l'Élevage at Fontainebleau and the Grande Semaine de CCE at Pompadour. It also operates digital platforms such as SHF market for horse sales and SHF video for competition streaming. Its members include affiliated breeding organisations (OS) for breeds such as Selle Français, Anglo-Arabe, Arabe et Demi-Sang Arabe, Cheval de dressage français, Connemara, Criollo, Dartmoor, Fjord, Haflinger, Highland, Irish-Cob, Islandais, New Forest, Poney Français de Selle, Shetland and Welsh, as well as regional breeder associations and qualified individual members. The SHF is a private, non-profit association, not a listed company, and its current president is Michel Guiot, in office since 2021.

The Société hippique française (SHF) was founded in 1865 and recognised as being of public utility on 16 October 1866 by decree of Emperor Napoleon III. Its initial mission was to organise competitions for service horses, both harnessed and ridden, which were essential for transport, agriculture and military needs. As early as 1866, it held its first central competition at the Palais de l'Industrie in Paris, for geldings and mares aged 4 to 6. From 1870 it introduced show jumping events, and in 1876 it organised its first international horse show for horses of all ages and nationalities, notably English and Irish. It progressively extended its action in the regions with competitions in Nantes (1874), Bordeaux (1875), Lille, Nancy and Lyon (1876). In 1887, the SHF organised the first and oldest show jumping competition in France, at Vichy, on the ground of what is now the Stade équestre du Sichon. From 1901 until 1940, the central competition was held at the Grand Palais in Paris. After the First World War, the SHF supported the transformation of French breeding by developing saddle horse production, setting up a complete programme of model and gaits, exterior and show jumping events. It continued as the leading organiser of horse shows, enabling the Vendée horse Vol au Vent, by Ignotus, to make a memorable 2.38 m jump at the Grand Palais competition in 1933. The year 1937 marked the organisation of the first Concours de Saut International Officiel (CSIO) in Paris by the SHF, while in 1950 it set up the first French Show Jumping Championship at Fontainebleau. Between 1952 and 1979, it took charge of the control and management of show jumping competition societies before this activity was transferred to the French Equestrian Federation, of which it was the first member. In 1972, the SHF was officially approved by the Ministry of Agriculture as the Mother Society for young horse events in France. It structured competitions in 1973 with the creation of two show jumping event cycles: the Cycle Classique and the Cycle Libre. Ten years later, in 1982, it organised the first Grande Semaine de l'Élevage at Fontainebleau, an event bringing together the finals for young horses aged 4, 5 and 6. The SHF continued to evolve with key dates: in 2000, integration of young endurance horse events; in 2003, opening of SHF events to European foreign horses; in 2006, taking charge of the young pony event circuit; in 2011, the SHF brought together the entire breeding sector, including National Breed Associations, Regional Breeder Associations, the Chambre Syndicale du Commerce des Chevaux de France (CSCCF), representative socio-professional actors and qualified persons. The SHF has pursued its modernisation: in 2013, creation of the SHF market platform, a reference site for horse sales, totalling more than 650,000 users; in 2017, launch of SHF video, a platform allowing the broadcast of more than 50,000 videos per year; in 2018, centralisation of sector services on the website www.shf.eu; in 2019, taking charge of the payment of PACE premiums; in 2023, introduction of the Prime aux Naisseurs; in 2024, the SHF revised its statutes to become the mother house of the young sport and leisure horse and to reflect its new missions. The presidents of the SHF have included: Marquis Augustin de Mornay (1865–1893), Comte de Juigné (1896–1900), M. de la Haye Jousselin (1900–1903), Baron du Theil (1903–1933), Marquis de Juigné (1933–1951), Comte de Vienne (1951–1963), Comte de Rochefort (1963–1968), Marquis du Vivier (1968–1978), Colonel Fresson (1978–1986), Colonel O'Delant (1986–1996), Général Méhu (1996–1999), Jacques Bastin-Lavauzelle (1999–2005), Marc Damians (2005–2012), Yves Chauvin (2012–2021), and Michel Guiot (since 2021).

• 2024

  Revision of statutes to become the mother house of the young sport and leisure horse.

• 2023

  Introduction of the Prime aux Naisseurs.

• 2019

  Taking charge of the payment of PACE premiums.

• 2018

  Centralisation of sector services on www.shf.eu.

• 2017

  Launch of SHF video platform.

• 2013

  Creation of the SHF market platform for horse sales.

• 2011

  SHF brings together the entire breeding sector, including breed associations and the CSCCF.

• 2006

  Taking charge of the young pony event circuit.

• 2003

  Opening of SHF events to European foreign horses.

• 2000

  Integration of young endurance horse events.

• 1982

  First Grande Semaine de l'Élevage at Fontainebleau.

• 1973

  Creation of the Cycle Classique and Cycle Libre show jumping event cycles.

• 1972

  Officially approved by the Ministry of Agriculture as the Mother Society for young horse events.

• 1950

  First French Show Jumping Championship at Fontainebleau.

• 1937

  Organisation of the first Concours de Saut International Officiel (CSIO) in Paris.

• 1901

  Central competition moves to the Grand Palais in Paris (until 1940).

• 1887

  Organisation of the first and oldest show jumping competition in France, at Vichy.

• 1876

  First international horse show for horses of all ages and nationalities.

• 1870

  Introduction of show jumping events.

• 1866

  Recognised as being of public utility by decree of Emperor Napoleon III; first central competition at the Palais de l'Industrie in Paris.

• 1865

  Founding of the Société hippique française.

National mother organisation for young sport horse and pony breeding, valorisation and commercialisation in France.

• Cycle Classique

  Show jumping event cycle for young horses.

• Cycle Libre

  Show jumping event cycle for young horses.

• SHF market

  Online platform for horse sales, with more than 650,000 users.

• SHF video

  Platform for broadcasting competition videos, with more than 50,000 videos per year.

1. 1SHF - Société Hippique Françaiseshf.eu
2. 2Troisième journée de championnat à Arnac-Pompadour - Actualités | SHF - Société Hippique Françaiseshf.eu
3. 3Société hippique françaisewikidata.org
4. 4Société hippique françaisefr.wikipedia.org