Le National de l’Obstacle date set for Haras du Pin on July 23
Ninety foals, yearlings and two-year-olds will parade at Haras du Pin on July 23, a jumps-breeding showcase that has already foreshadowed horses like King Rasko Grey.
Le National de l’Obstacle will return to Haras du Pin on Thursday, July 23, with 90 foals, yearlings and two-year-olds set to parade before the judges in the historic Normandy complex. The fixture, run by ANCCO, is more than a date on the summer calendar: it is one of the clearest early markers of where French National Hunt breeding is headed next.
The setting still matters. Haras du Pin sits inside an Olympic-standard equestrian estate, and that backdrop gives the show the kind of scale and polish that fits its role in the jumps market. Breeders are not just bringing stock for inspection. They are bringing candidates for the next season’s paddocks, sales ring and, for the best of them, the racecourse.
The event has already proven it can identify serious talent early. L’Autonomie and Asterion Forlonge both passed through this showcase before becoming names worth following in jumps racing. More recently, King Rasko Grey appeared there as a foal in 2020 and later went on to win the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown for Willie Mullins. That is the sort of return breeders remember when they decide which young stock to send to Haras du Pin.
This year’s judge of honour will be Jérôme Delaunay, who has emerged as one of France’s leading National Hunt trainers. His presence adds another layer of credibility to a show that already carries weight because of what it has produced in the past. When a judge with that profile is overseeing 90 youngsters, the market pays attention to the type, athleticism and pedigree profile that rise to the top.
The prize structure underscores the commercial side of the day. The leading graduates in each category will receive nominations to stallions including Beaumec de Houelle, Jigme and Léon du Berlais, along with newcomer Shannon Maestro. Those nominations matter because they tie the show ring directly to breeding plans for the next crop of jump horses, and they give breeders a concrete reason to chase quality rather than simply fill a parade.
The social calendar around the show is built for business as much as celebration. A welcome dinner with live music is planned for July 22, and breeders will gather the next day for a Normandy aperitif hosted by La Fédération des Eleveurs. By the time the first horse steps out on July 23, the deal-making and pedigree talk will already have started.
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