Fête du Cheval Percheron

The Percheron, pride of the region

Every August 15th, the Domaine départemental de la Ferté-Vidame celebrates the Percheron horse, one of the world's most famous draft breeds, which originated in the Perche region. Over the decades, the Percheron Horse Festival has become a must-attend event for equine enthusiasts and defenders of living heritage.

Exceptional presentations

The day is dedicated to showcasing the Percheron in all its facets:

Conformation and gait shows

Stallions, mares, and foals are presented to the public in a parade that highlights the beauty, power, and elegance of this draft breed. Presenters detail the morphological characteristics and qualities of the Percheron, offering a true open-air hippology lesson.

Carriage driving demonstrations

Carriage driving is one of the highlights of the festival. Whether solo, in pairs, or in teams, Percherons pull horse-drawn carriages through the estate's park, demonstrating their quiet strength and docility. The carriage carousels offer a majestic spectacle where the synchronization between drivers and horses reaches heights of precision.

Traditional crafts and expertise

Farrier and wheelwright

Artisans practice their trades live: the farrier shoes a horse before the public's eyes, while the wheelwright demonstrates the making and repair of cartwheels. These demonstrations of ancestral skills remind us of the importance of the horse in the rural economy of the past.

Saddlery and harnessing

Saddler-harness makers exhibit their work and show the manufacturing of harnesses used for driving. The parades of fully harnessed horses allow visitors to admire the richness of the worked leather and traditional ornaments.

A theme renewed every year

Each edition is built around an original theme that enriches the presentations and opens the Percheron to the world and modernity. In 2026, vaulting will be in the spotlight, with Les Écuries de Normandel and the Association Equi'Vault offering exceptional performances within the historic setting of the estate.

Domaine départemental de la Ferté-Vidame

The Domaine départemental de La Ferté-Vidame is owned by the Eure-et-Loir Departmental Council, which is committed to restoring and promoting it to the public.
You can wander through the 60 hectares accessible to the public and stroll along the remains of the last French-style park built in the 18th century. The monumental ruin that stands in the center is a frozen witness to a past that was both glorious and decadent.