THE BIGGEST SPORTING EVENT OF THE YEAR IN FRANCE BEGINS IN 98 DAYS
- Eight disciplines, eight world championships, 27 titles and podiums
- A fortnight of equestrian competition, festivity and entertainment
- A Games Village to enjoy the event on a daily basis with entertainment, showcasing Normandy and the equine world.
A musical celebration, the Alltech Music Festival, boasting a line-up of international musicians and local talent.
The date is important and is certainly one to remember. Monday 19 May 2014 marks 98 days to the start of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy. On Saturday 23 August, the world’s leading equestrians will gather for the first time on French soil to compete in eight disciplines. 2014 has seen a record number of participants with approximately one thousand competitors, representing 72 nations, the highest number of participating nations in the history of the Games.
The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games fortnight will offer its audience more than the label of most prestigious international equestrian competition. The organisers have been keen to extend the gathering to not only horse and world equestrian cultures but to a wider audience. It’s a festival where connoisseurs and novices, experts and those with inquiring minds can come together as one on the Normandy territory. The event will appeal to a broad audience from all walks of life. It will invite itself into the daily lives of the population, be they from Normandy, France or overseas, initiated spectators or otherwise. To date some 270,000 tickets have been sold and there are still places available in every discipline. With 100 days to go, it’s time to make your choice!
THE GAMES’ VILLAGE:
The Games’ village alone will be a fantastic illustration of the event’s prestige. At the heart of the operation, in Caen, just a matter of minutes from the Ornano stadium, very close to Le Zénith arena and the Hippodrome de la Prairie racetrack, it will offer the public a varied and original programme of festivities and quality entertainment. Shows, beginners’ courses, discoveries, musical and equestrian entertainers, demonstrations of the industry’s skills and disciplines, mini-stables, partners and exhibitors’ stands and restaurants. In total, some 10 hours of entertainment is scheduled each day across an area spanning 110,000 m2, with some 500 horses and 450 people in action. Open from 11 am to 10 pm, the village will be accessible free of charge to those with tickets for the competitions (for the others, entry will cost 5 Euros for the day).
Of course, the horse theme will be the common denominator, though Normandy will be the star. In total, over 1,000m2 will be devoted to the promotion of Normandy, in Caen, Sartilly and Le Pin National Stud. Here, visitors from all over the world will be able to discover the history and culture of the horse that is engrained in the Normandy region of excellence in France.
The professional and international fair, the Normandy Horse Trade Fair will play host to all businesses involved in the equestrian sector, showcasing their expertise and their savoir-faire.
KEY INFORMATION REGARDING THE GAMES’ VILLAGE:
- WHERE: Parc des Expositions in Caen
- WHEN: from 23 August to the evening of 7 September (early closing on 1 September)
- OPENING TIMES: from 11 am to 10 pm
- Entry will be free for those with tickets or passes for the competition, otherwise it will cost €5 (free for the under 12s). Tickets for the Village will also be on sale at the venue during the Games.
- A programme spanning some 150 hours and 110,000m², 25,000 spectators simultaneously accommodated in the Village each day, 250 exhibition stands, 500 horses, 450 people in action, 50 contributors, 130 volunteers, 150 stables, 2 rings, 10hrs of programming per day.
D-100 by C.Dumont
@J.S Evrard/AFP/Jeux Équestres Mondiaux
THE “ALLTECH MUSIC FESTIVAL”:
Another highlight of the Village is the “Alltech Music Festival”, sponsored by the event’s title partner. The eight evenings spanning the duration of the Games, are sure to contribute to the event’s festival atmosphere. It will feature a succession of renowned international artists and up-and-coming regional musicians, who will grace the main stage. The festival will host up to 10,000 spectators. The programme is broad and eclectic, mixing folk and blues, rock and soul, rap, country and bluegrass to cater for all music tastes. All in all, there will be 30 hours of live music lined up for visitors to the Games’ village from 1900 hours, entirely free of charge. Kool and the Gang will perform at the opening concert on Sunday 24 August, while Louis Bertignac, the former guitarist from the French band Téléphone, will be playing for the family evening on Thursday 4 September. The line-up will also include Aloe Blacc, a huge star in the US music scene, and Granville, an original young trio from Caen, which have been invited to play on Saturday 6 September during the closing concert.
REQUEST THE PROGRAMME! (programme subject to modifications)
SUNDAY 24 AUGUST: OPENING CONCERT
Kool and the Gang
Soul Vintage Orchestra
MONDAY 25 AUGUST: QUEBEC NIGHT
Mes souliers sont rouges
Misteur Valaire
THURSDAY 28 AUGUST: IRISH NIGHT
Sharon Shannon & her band / We Banjo 3
FRIDAY 29 AUGUST: COUNTRY NIGHT
Flynnville Train
Kevin Buckley & the Yee Haw Band
SATURDAY 30 AUGUST: CAEN STAGE
Casseurs Flowters
Oldelaf
THURSDAY 4 SEPTEMBER: FAMILY NIGHT
Louis Bertignac
Joyce Jonathan
FRIDAY 5 SEPTEMBER: U.S. NIGHT
Aloe Blacc
Nick Waterhouse
SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER: CLOSING CONCERT
Superpoze vs Fakear
The Lanskies/Granville/Malo
QUOTES:
"The Games’ fortnight will be a great sporting moment at the very highest international level. Furthermore, in order for all the different audiences to come together as one, it will also be festive, rich and diverse, intensive, expert and educational… In the Games’ Village we are mixing up the cultures around two connected elements: the horse and Normandy. The public can get right up close to every aspect of the horse, whilst absorbing the equestrian cultures of the world and the savoir-faire of the here and now. Normandy is showcasing its talent, its areas of excellence and its gourmet products. All the different audiences will cross paths in a festival ambiance. Our dearest wish is that the Normandy 2014 edition is also remembered for its deep understanding of how to entertain".
Laurent Beauvais, President of the Normandie 2014 Organising Committee
"Imagine the deep concentration of talent encompassing the Games’ Village from morning to night. We wanted a programme that is original and, in certain aspects, exceptional. We wanted to expand on the athletes’ achievements through moments of surprise. In this way, the public will go from shows to equestrian demonstrations, from artistic performances to discoveries. It will engross spectators with the whole range of man-horse relationships. The Games’ Village will generously come together around the culture, proximity, learning and pleasure of experiencing a major international event en masse. Here we’ll experience the atmosphere that is synonymous with major meetings."
Fabien Grobon, Director of the Normandie 2014 Organising Committee
“We are now 100 days from the Opening Ceremony of Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy, the world’s largest global equestrian event. Soon we will see the world’s best horses and riders competing for medals in the heart of Normandy, which, with its long heritage steeped in horses and horsemanship, is the perfect stage for this seventh edition of the Games. The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy will be seen by hundreds of thousands of spectators in Normandy and millions more watching live on television. We’re now counting down every minute of every day to the 23 August, when 15 days of top equestrian sport will begin.”
Ingmar De Vos, Secretary General of the International Equestrian Federation.
PRESS CONTACTS – (requests for interviews and editorial content)
Email: presse@normandie2014.com
- Agence Blanco Negro – National and international press
Tel. +33 (0)1 47 72 81 41 - Mob. +33 (0)6 83 00 83 83
- Claire Montémont – Press in Normandy
Tel. +33 (0)2 31 29 16 96 / +33 (0)6 10 15 04 18
Media operations office
(accreditation, accommodation, transport, media service on site)
Email: media.operations@normandie2014.com
- Christophe Kukawka / Sophie Dahan - Tel. +33 (0)2 31 84 02 97
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