MEMORIES & FAMILY
A decade of sport, elegance and friendship!
12 YEARS OF SPORT AND FRIENDSHIP ALREADY!
From June 19th to 21st, the LONGINES GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR - LONGINES PARIS EIFFEL JUMPING celebrated its 12th edition. This iconic event was conceived and created by Virginie Coupérie-Eiffel in 2014 on the Champ de Mars, opposite the tower of her great-great-grandfather, Gustave Eiffel. It was a way to unite the heritage of her father and mother, the Eiffel Tower, and of course, horses. It was while attending the jubilee celebration of the horse Jappeloup and his rider Pierre Durand, Olympic champions in Seoul, that some ten years later she revived the idea with the City of Paris. It took her two years to gather support and convince others before obtaining authorization from Bertrand Delanoë. Anne Hidalgo, who had just been elected mayor, then pledged her support. The Paris Eiffel Jumping was born! The partners will be Longines and Gucci for this first edition and Paris will be part of the prestigious circuit set up by his friend, rider Jan Tops, the Longines Global Champions Tour.
A FAMILY STORY
The story began in the intimacy of the event with Coco, her sister who ran the Café de l'Homme. Coco orchestrated the entire culinary experience at the Pavillon Eiffel. Each year, she brought a Michelin-starred chef on board to showcase the French art of living. A succession of chefs graced the event, each shining with their talent. Past participants included Alain Ducasse, Frédéric Anton, and Hélène Darroze. A selection of renowned names graced a pop-up restaurant with a breathtaking view of the competition. And when the Eiffel Tower was illuminated, the evenings continued to the sounds of her daughter Vanille's music; everyone danced and celebrated Paris and its champions!
ART AND THE EIFFEL ROAD
For each edition, the poster is entrusted to an artist. Thus, the works of Robert Combas, Paola Pivi with the Perrotin Gallery, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, JoOne, and Urs Fisher will appear in turn on the Champs-Elysées. The famous Eiffel Route, meanwhile, is an equestrian trail with a different route each year. It crosses the Île-de-France region and Paris. On horseback, it's another way to discover French landscapes and monuments, finally arriving at the main show jumping arena to the sound of the Republican Guard!
THE LONGINES PARIS EIFFEL JUMPING IS BACK IN ITS ORIGINAL SETTING
In 2027, the Longines Paris Eiffel Jumping returns to its original setting, in the heart of the Champ-de-Mars, in front of the École Militaire. This edition promises to be marked by emotion, equestrian passion, and community spirit, in one of the capital's most iconic locations.
As every year, the Village is free and open to all, with activities for young and old: exhibitions, shows, pony rides, shops, horse wellness area, associations to discover and support… not forgetting the unique atmosphere of hope, conviviality and fraternity that makes the event famous.
This twelfth edition offered us some highlights: a poster designed by André Brasilier, the participation of a starred chef, a brand new show and many other surprises to enjoy throughout the weekend.
See you in 2027 for an unforgettable experience at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, in the company of the best riders and horses in the world, in a place full of history and magic.
SPORT
Since its first edition in 2014, the world's best riders have flocked to the foot of the Eiffel Tower, making the Parisian competition an essential stop on their sporting calendar. The legendary French pair Kévin Staut and Silvana HDC were the first to conquer Paris: "This victory is one of the best moments of my career. The atmosphere is special; you feel carried by the crowd," confided the winner. Following them, eight other big names have followed suit, including Frenchman Julien Épaillard in 2017 with Usual Suspect d'Auge, undoubtedly one of the competition's most memorable stories: "Winning this Grand Prix, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, with a horse born at home, is one of my fondest memories." German rider Christian Ahlmann also left his mark on the prestigious Parisian leg, being the only rider to win the Grand Prix twice, in 2019 with Ailina and in 2023 with Otterongo Alpha: "Paris has always been a spectacle." Winning twice in this venue makes the event very special for me. This competition is like a real family and I'm proud to be a part of it.
The memories are also rich for the winners of the Eiffel Challenge, presented in turn by Gucci, Massimo Dutti, and Saint Laurent, with victories by Edwina Tops-Alexander and Roger-Yves Bost, and especially in 2021 by Edward Levy, the most Parisian of riders, who thrilled the crowd with his win aboard Rebeca Ls: "The crowd and the atmosphere here make the sport exactly as we love it." We will also remember the exploits of Charlotte Casiraghi, who won the first event of the very first edition, and Guillaume Canet's 2.05m jump in the Renault.
The bonds that unite the riders at this event are very strong. Much more than a competition, it's above all a story of loyalty and friendship with its founder, Virginie Coupérie-Eiffel. A respite, and especially a "bubble of happiness," as she likes to say. An opinion shared by American Jessica Springsteen: "I have my best memories there. Doing what we love most in one of the most beautiful cities in the world is a dream. Every year I can't wait to be there!" His father Bruce Springsteen, like Michael Bloomberg or Bill Gates, also come to support their children's equestrians and mingle with passionate celebrities like Johnny Hallyday or Tony Parker, Billie Eilish, Iris Mittenaere, Mika, Gad Elmaleh, Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet, Charlotte Casiraghi, François Hollande and Julie Gayet, Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni, François Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek, and so many others... Every year they all come to support, admire or discover this sport born from the mysterious encounter of two species, as Jean Rochefort, our late Jean who never missed an edition, liked to describe it!
