Marché-Concours once again attracts crowds to the Jura
Published: Sunday, Aug 11th 2024, 17:40
Retour au fil d'actualité
The Marché-Concours in Saignelégier JU came to a sunny close on Sunday with the big folklore parade and the horse races. Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider praised the versatility of the Franches-Montagnes breed. Alsace was the guest of honor at the 119th edition.
According to Vincent Wermeille, president of the organizing committee, around 50,000 visitors have strolled through the grounds of the Marché-Concours in the capital of the Franches-Montagnes since Friday evening. This was a similar number of visitors to previous years.
The official day on Sunday began in bright sunshine with an impressive parade of 400 horses with short manes and polished coats. Alsace and its traditional costumes appeared alongside the Franches-Montagnes horses and their breeders in the large folklore parade in the afternoon.
Alsace in the spotlight
The French border region delighted visitors with its regional specialties: Tarte flambée and Alsatian wines, pottery and traditional dance performances.
Alsace's invitation was no coincidence: in March, the Jura government announced its intention to deepen cooperation with the Collectivité Européenne d'Alsace, which will be created in 2021 from the merger of the Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin departments, in areas such as transport, tourism and ecological change.
In her speech, Federal Councillor Baume-Schneider praised the versatility of the Freiberger, which is no longer used exclusively as a draught animal as it was 100 years ago. He is a leisure and race horse, is also valued by the army and is used in the care sector for people with disabilities or mental illnesses.
Olympic medal winners celebrated
Another prominent guest who always drew applause was Audrey Gogniat, the bronze medal winner in the 10-meter air rifle shooting at the Olympic Games in Paris, as well as the other medal winner from the Jura, the rider Steve Guerdat.
After Valais last year, the canton of Geneva will be the guest of honor at next year's Marché-Concours. For 2026, the canton of Bern has been invited for the first time, said Wermeille. According to him, the Bernese authorities have accepted the invitation on the condition that the concordat, which defines the modalities of the transfer from Moutier BE to the canton of Jura, is approved by the population on September 22.
©Keystone/SDA
French 
English 
German 
Spanish 
Arabic