The School was founded in 1972 by decree[1] to replace the Institut National d'Equitation, which was created in 1968.[2] It continues the tradition of the Saumur Cavalry Officers' School.
The school was created in Saumur with the support of the town of Saumur and the General Council of Maine-et-Loire.[3]
The ENE, which is part of the Institut français du cheval et de l'équitation, under the supervision of the Ministries of Agriculture and Sport, was created with the following missions:[4]
training and development of French riding professionals at the national level (instructors and teachers)
organization and preparation for national and international competitions (particularly Olympic disciplines),
participation in technical and pedagogical studies and research, and the creation of a documentation center in the field of equestrian teaching and practice
preservation and presentation of traditional French equitation.
The school is the heir to the French equestrian tradition. It complements the Cadre Noir de Saumur, which trains military personnel and equestrians. Professors at the National Equestrian School train and perfect senior equestrian executives. The school hosts training courses for French and foreign teachers and competitors, welcoming 1,500 trainees.[5] Thanks to the establishment, horses and riders have access to competitions, some of which are organized on the Terrefort and Verrie grounds.
Since 2003, the school has been one of four European schools in the Euroride network of equestrian training schools. In addition to ENE, the schools of Warendorf in Germany, Deurne in the Netherlands and Strömsholm in Sweden are also part of this network. Trainees spend 10 months at each of these schools.[5]
Infrastructure and employees
ENE's stables
The school is located on two sites: the 130-hectare Terrefort site, where the school's buildings and infrastructure are located, and the Verrie site, where the racecourse is used for international competitions, springs, and training courses.[6]
In 2008, the school owned 330 horses, with between 400 and 500 more in its stables.[7]
It has eighteen Olympic careers, 50 km of prepared tracks, several hundred obstacles, and seven Olympic riding arenas, including one of the largest in Europe. The school also boasts a veterinary clinic, a blacksmith's shop, an amphitheater, and a media library.[6]
In 2008, the school employed 200 people, most of them civil servants. They include 45 teachers, around 60 grooms, 5 farriers, two veterinarians, and two nurses. Other staff are delegated to technical maintenance and administrative functions.[6]
ENE horses are purchased from breeders all over France, at the age of three and generally at regional competitions, thanks to a subsidy. The vast majority are Selles Français, along with a few Anglo-Arabs. After being put out to pasture, the horses join the young mounts' stables, where their breaking-in is confirmed and their aptitudes tested.[8] At the age of four, they are oriented towards a particular discipline, then promoted at Société hippique française [fr] competitions by riders specialized in events for young horses aged four to six. After six years, they are distributed among the ENE students, each of whom has four horses specialized respectively in dressage, jumping, eventing, and saddling. The rare high-potential horses continue their careers in competition, recognizable by the “ENE*HN” suffix following their names: Donatello du Riveau, Crocus Jacob, Athlète de la Cour, and Free-Style are among these renowned mounts.[8]
Pegasus Award
At the initiative of and in partnership with the Académie Pégase, the French National Equestrian School has been awarding the Prix Pégase (ENE) since 1989, in recognition of work on horses and riding that has contributed to the widespread dissemination of equestrian culture.
