50 SIDELINES JANUARY 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Back To The Future With Butet
e
My Story
Butet’s new co-owners Arnaud
Lievre and Olivier Pedrix.
By Sydney Durieux
I
t was during my first trip to the Loire Valley in France, after
visiting countless castles, cathedrals and monuments, that I
tried to talk my very French, very “un-horsey” husband into
taking a horseback ride from vineyard to vineyard. The upside,
I justified, was I would be able to spend time in the saddle and
he would be able to sample wines from the region. I received a
resounding “NON!” If he had his way, this was to be a “horseless
holiday,” but I was not to be outdone!
I’d perused the guidebooks and learned that the town of
Saumur, the capital of riding in France, was not far off! Of course,
it had a stunning medieval castle, which housed a real treasure
– the Museum of the Horse. To top that off, the legendary Ecole
National d’Equitation and Cadre Noir were located just outside of
town.
As we approached the final turn to the prestigious riding school,
I caught a glimpse of a Butet Sellier sign. That was it; we had to
stop! My spouse sat stubbornly in the car as I, armed with my
French/English dictionary, ventured into Butet’s headquarters
alone. In the immaculate foyer, I spied one lone flat jumping
saddle on display. “
Madame, puis-je vous aider?”
(Madame, may
I help you?) asked a well-dressed employee. My high school
French was not sufficient to explain that I was a horse-obsessed
American rider in the heart of horse country who wanted to have a
look around. The gentleman smiled kindly and politely bid me “
au
revoir
.” As I headed out the door, I took one final (longing) look
back at the saddle in the center of the room thinking “one day…”
Fast-forward 10 years … We’d purchased an old farmhouse in
the Loire Valley, which we were constantly renovating. I’d been
invited to come ride at a show stable on the grounds of a private
castle. As I looked around the grand old tack room, I realized
that every single saddle was a Butet. And the minute I mounted
up, I understood why Butet has always been considered the
Rolls Royce of saddles, the choice of show jumping icons like
Chris Kappler, Will Simpson, Eric Lamaze, Michael Whitaker and
George Morris.
Though I don’t own a horse at the moment, the head trainer was
kind enough to put me in touch with Butet’s new co-owner Arnaud
Continued on page 52
The entrance to the Butet headquarters
in Saumur, France.
Sydney caught a glimpse of the Butet
sign during her first trip to France.
Photos by Sydney Durieux, unless noted
otherwise.
