French Amateur Eventing Championships at the Grand Parquet in Fontainebleau

From 22 to 25 October 2026the Grand Parquet de Fontainebleau, on Route d’Orléans, is hosting the French Amateur Eventing Championship. Four days of competition, and Admission is free, which remains one of the best sporting events on the Bellifontaine calendar.

Three events, one pair

Eventing is the most demanding discipline in equestrian sport, because it requires the same horse and the same rider to possess three qualities that are incompatible with one another:

• the training, which assesses the couple’s precision and harmony
• the cross, an outdoor obstacle course that requires stamina and courage
• the show jumping, which assesses technique and proficiency

A horse that excels at dressage may prove cautious over cross-country, whilst a cross-country star might knock down fences on a Sunday. That is precisely what makes the final standings unpredictable right up until the very last event.

Why come at all, even if you know nothing about it?

The cross-country event is not to be missed. You stand by the side of an obstacle, watch the pairs go by just a few metres away, and within thirty seconds you understand what the figures in a ranking will never reveal. The Grand Parquet is one of France’s major equestrian venues, and watching a national championship take place just a twenty-minute walk from the town centre remains a privilege for the people of Bellifontaine.

Getting there

Free entry, Grand Parquet, Route d’Orléans, Fontainebleau. Timetables and start lists are published on the website of the French Equestrian Federation.