Release date: 23/07/2011 |    

Chantilly Shopping Village

Global Champions Tour effectively has a mini village at each event with an array of luxury shops, cafes and seating areas where spectators can browse and soak up the sun.

Wandering around you’ll see horse sculptures and paintings, charcoal drawings, jewellery, patterned wellington boots, a sock shop, horse tack and bridles, designer clothes and a coffee bar and restaurant

Cavalleria Toscana

Italian-born Paolo Petri is the manager at GCT’s Cavalleria Toscana stand. The stylish 38 year-old takes great pride in the brand, which was created just three years ago by three of his fellow countrymen with an eye for detail and equine style.

‘Cavelleria Toscana designs specific garments for GCT events,’ says Paolo, ‘We’re proud to be associated with this tour because we feel we want to position our clothes in the right places. They are premium garments and we enjoy the patronage of GCT’s VIP customers.’

Cavelleria Toscana sells bridlery, jackets, tops, jodhpurs, boots and footwear.

‘The jackets water and windproof and our t-shirts are designed to let the skin breathe,’ explains Paolo, as he goes through a rack of clothes and accessories. ‘Our best-selling item is the red bomber jacket. Women in particular seem to love wearing red!’

The saddles and tack are tested and modified for best performance and have various safety features.

‘Our saddles and bridlery are worn by riders competing in show jumping, dressage, endurance and polo,’ says Paolo. ‘We have many stores all over the world but you’ll only find the GCT stock at GCT events.’

Vicomte A.

The Vicomte A stand is impossible to miss with its shocking pink carpet and matching walls. The carpet is replaced between each event to keep the stand looking as bright as possible (and to allow for the hundreds of riding boots that walk across it during each event.)

A selection of clothes and equine accessories are on sale. But watch out for the taxidermied goat by the entrance!

Equine art

The very talented Marine Oussedik illustrates her passion for horses in her incredible art and sculptures.

Holding pride of place in her stand is a huge charcoal picture of a warm-blood’s head. She also creates ink paintings, which she says can take several days to complete.

‘If you’re painting with ink you have to go slowly,’ says Marine, ‘It’s not like normal paint, you can’t just slop it on canvas. I’m not sure how long each painting individually takes because I work on several pieces at a time. Do I own my own horse? Of course! I love them.’

Marine also creates both horse and dog sculptures. Some of her works feature riders too.

‘I would say the dogs I make are Jack Russells,’ she says with a grin. ‘Let’s be honest, there are lots of dog lovers at GCT events so it’s only natural to include them in my work.’

Pet heaven

It’s impossible not to notice the beautiful, top-breed dogs that accompany spectators to GCT events. In fact sometimes it might seem there are as many dogs as horses!

The GCT village is an dog lover’s heaven with a range of big dogs like Rhodesian Redbacks, English mastiffs and Dalmatians to smaller dogs like terriers and puppies trotting around. The good news is they’re all very well behaved and it’s not unusual to see one or two canine friends dozing peacefully in the afternoon sun.

Chantilly food-stands

Those who GCT fancy a snack can choose from specific stands selling ice-cream, crepes and mouth-watering confectionary.

The GCT village restaurant boasts a huge buffet with seafood, roasts, and a selection of cheeses with bread. Desserts include fruit, ice-cream, apricot tart, bread and butter pudding (which tastes suspiciously like it’s laced with vodka) and rich chocolate mousse.

Those who visit the VIP lounge can enjoy complimentary bottles of chilled Moet champagne, juices and mineral water. Gourmet meals are always the order of the day.

Photo Credits: Stefano Grasso/GCT