The Games’ programme of festivities is finally unveiled !

More than 150 hours of entertainment planned!

Open from 11am to 10pm, the Games Village will be accessible free of charge to everyone who has a ticket for one of the day’s sporting competitions, and entry will be just 5 Euros for anyone else. In total, the Village will offer more than 150 hours of entertainment, spread over an area of 110,000m2 and with no fewer than 500 horses and 450 people in action on site. Horses will of course take centre stage, but the Norman region will also be honoured! The thousands of visitors expected will be invited to discover the shared history and culture of the horse and France’s number 1 horsey region.

Horses at the heart of the Games Village

Horses will be given pride of place in the Games Village, thanks to a large number of equestrian-themed activities:

• A daily presentation of different horse breeds.
• Demonstrations of lesser-known disciplines that do not otherwise feature at the Games, such as Doma Vaquera, Western riding, Cossack vaulting and archery on horseback.
• A fun and educational presentation of the official Games disciplines by top-level riders.
• Exhibitions entitled “Normandy’s got talent” lasting 45 minutes per day over 7 days, showcasing the knowledge and performances of the region’s riders, breeders and artists.
• An “I speak horse” workshop led by famous Australian horse-whisperer Andy Booth and his zorse Stormy (zebra cross quarter horse).
• Equestrian shows performed by international artists and rising talents, in the form of historic re-enactments with epee duels and classic Haute-Ecole dressage.
• Head-to-heads between horse-riding and other sporting disciplines, leading to some explosive encounters!
• A whole host of performances that blend humour, horses and much more!

Other kinds of entertainment will also be organised in the Games Village, such as the Working Horse Village, where 20 horses will demonstrate the work they do in towns to carry out public service missions, such as collecting rubbish or watering plants. The horses will work during and outside Village opening hours and will play a central role in the Games Village.

Norman excellence will also be showcased in the Village in order to promote the region and increase public interest in Normandy. It will be a great way of inciting spectators to come back and visit our beautiful region!

All kinds of entertainment for all types of visitor

Horses will be the central focus of all of the entertainment activities, but the Village will also have marching bands and street theatre groups parading up and down its alleys in order to entertain visitors. Numerous attractions will be set up, including a merry-go-round and pedal sulkies, which will all have a “retro” vibe but will continue the themes of horses and travelling the world. A “Camion Scratch” truck will also make an appearance so that budding DJs can try their hand at mixing.   

In addition, the “Around the world in 80 horses” exhibition will be displayed around the Village, to present the 80 stories about man and horses written every week since June 2013 by Jean-Louis Gouraud for his column in the daily newspaper Ouest-France.

A superb programme that will enable all spectators to discover (or rediscover) the Norman region and horse-riding in all its forms in between sporting competitions!