This year's Centaur Raid took place in Alsace, from November 10 to 12. 60 riders and their brave horses from Belgium, Spain, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Switzerland took part in this legendary orienteering race.
The 108-kilometer course, in two loops of 63 and 45 kilometers, spread over two nights and finishing during the day, was a real challenge, with high requirements on orientation and topography. Moreover, the weather conditions did not spare the riders, with heavy rain and gusts of wind on the first day and bitter cold on the second. Even so, the adventurers were able to enjoy the beautiful Alsatian scenery, with mountain crossings, medieval castles and autumn-colored forests.
The Centaur: a real challenge, but we're always back!
Team gold medalist at the 2022 TREC World Championships, Manon Schwarz is the individual winner of this unusual POR event. " Les moments les plus difficiles sont toujours les fins de nuit, lorsque le jour commence à se lever, que la fatigue est grande, qu’il fait froid et qu’il y a du brouillard. Mais une fois passée la ligne d’arrivée, on a qu’une seule envie c’est de repartir (après une bonne nuit de sommeil). Ma priorité était pour la première nuit d’aller vite, pour pouvoir me reposer ainsi que ma jument entre les deux nuits. Il faut être déterminé pour faire cette épreuve et pour doubler, en pleine nuit, les autres cavaliers et avancer. Mais quelle satisfaction lorsqu’on voit qu’on avance bien ! L’ambiance était formidable, c’est une ambiance propre au TREC en général mais qui ressort d’autant plus sur le Centaure, tout le monde est dans la même galère, il y a grande solidarité entre tous. Nous avons été très bien accueillis par les organisateurs, un grand merci à eux ».
Lionel Voltzenlogel, winner of this year's race in a duo with Caroline Leroux, also looks back on the sensations he experienced during the 100 km. " The race is long, the weather conditions were difficult, the nights are long at this time of year, and the route was a real challenge with lots of gradients and off-piste sections. But at the end of the day, we can't wait for next year ! ". The Centaure is a real challenge, requiring a great deal of preparation beforehand for both horse and rider. Once you're on the course, it's above all a psychological challenge: to stay precise with the map, you have to remain highly concentrated, despite fatigue, weather conditions and so on. It's a real personal challenge, and the satisfaction is great when you manage to finish the course in good conditions, especially for the horses.
I must also mention the incredible involvement of the volunteers, who play a very important role. They often have a little something for the riders, which comforts them. There's a great atmosphere between everyone, there's a great mutual aid, which also makes the Centaur a mythical event". Teaming up with Caroline Leroux, he explains that " En duo avec Caroline Leroux, il explique que « when it gets tough, it cheers us up not to be alone. When we don't know which direction to choose, we can also confront our choices, which is not the case when we're alone. For horses too, especially young ones like mine, it's good to be accompanied. But you have to choose your team-mate carefully, because in the face of so many difficulties, you have to be able to get on well together". ".
The Centaur: an extraordinary human experience
"The solidarity between everyone, riders and volunteers, the team spirit, the mutual aid and the warm atmosphere made the organization of this 2023 Centaur Raid an incredible experience. On a human level, we had a wonderful time, something I never expected. Several riders rode part of the POR together, and the podium even arrived at the same time, so the image was very strong," says Amandine Barrois (Sabots'Rando), organizer of the 2023 event.
"60 volunteers were present, some of them know well the Centaur, others were local volunteers. The atmosphere was fantastic, and new friendships were even made. I'd like to thank them all," she continues. "I'd also like to thank Jean de Châtillon, François Léveillé and all their teams, who helped us enormously, as well as the Equestrian Tourism Commission of the CRE Grand-Est, the Fédération Française d'Equitation and the FITE for their support. Jean De Châtillon (A hue et a dia), who has overseen the organization of the Centaur Raid for a number of years, underlines "a great edition, organized with a master's hand by the Sabots'Rando association".
Well done to all the horses, riders, volunteers and organizers!
See you in Spain in 2024!
Mark your calendars: the 2024 Centaur Raid will take place in Spain, in Prats de Lluçanès, (Catalonia) from March 8 to 10 (more information to come).
Pictures ©Quentin Schmitt
