Horse races Hautes-Pyrénées

The Hippodrome de la Demi-Lune in Lannemezan is a friendly venue for horse racing. Founded in 1892, it offers free admission for all at both meetings. Professionals will appreciate the soft grass track made of peat. The gallop track measures 1,312 meters and has a straight chord. The racecourse has 25 horse stalls. A snack bar is available on site.

This racecourse schedules races once a year, in August. The Soulancerre racecourse was founded on the former De Mazoyer lands, acquired in 1899 by Madame Arquie. The first race took place in 1901 on a longer track than today's. There are then two meetings per year, on Sundays. In 1932, François Arquie sold the land he had inherited. The young Léopold Prat, owner of a stable, bought the property. During the Second World War, horse racing ceased. They were relaunched in 1945, but no longer take place on Sundays, but on Tuesday, market day. A great success! The racecourse became the meeting place for the farmers of the region, the people taking the waters in Capvern, and the people from Biarritz who came by bus. The beautiful ones compete in elegance with their toilets designed by local seamstresses and their hats bought from the Miélan fashion designer. Leopold Prat's team rivals that of Ransou de Barran. And everyone meets in the evening at the restaurant.

The Acacias-Vic en Bigorre racecourse in Tarbes is one of a kind. It is the only racecourse in the Hautes-Pyrénées, apart from Laloubère, to host gallop races. However, its future is uncertain and a solution must be found before the summer of 2012, failing which the racecourse risks closure. Meetings have already been held with various local players, such as the principal of Lycée Jean-Monnet and the farm manager, as well as representatives of the region and local landowners. The region considers that this matter should be handled by local authorities, and that the long-term future of the racecourse will depend on the financial and human resources required for its upkeep. Several avenues of financing are being explored, notably with the regional and national racecourse federations, as well as the Conseil du Cheval. Further meetings are planned to discuss a possible transfer of responsibilities.

About fifty volunteers take part in the life of this leisure place in full evolution. The racecourse of Half Moon, created in 1892, was relaunched in 1963 by the will of Henri Cistac, the local president of the Société des courses. Following important works, the racecourse has seen the return of trotting and harness racing with two important meetings per year. The training tracks are thus accessible all year long to the professionals of equestrian endurance and trotting.