in fo c u s
Emmanuel Defossez
not heavy metal
For those new to the sport, showjumping may seem like it relies entirely on
the horse and rider combination to achieve the win, but the number of people
involved in each competition goes far beyond these two actors.
Just like the pit crews in Formula 1 auto racing, a whole
What made you become a farrier?
support team exists to ensure the health and fitness of these To answer this question, I would ask not “what?” but “who?”
performance horses; grooms, veterinarians, and farriers (and I was an international groom in France and my farrier, Jean-Louis
owners and managers, too) coordinate their knowledge and skills Brochet, really motivated me to take a chance on a different career
to best prepare their horse and rider combination for the track. path. As one of the best farriers in France (and in the world), he
Because Equestre Americas aims to explore every angle of our was such an inspiration. He has such passion for the horses and a
fascinating sport, we talked with the very exerienced international determination to make every horse perform at its best at the top
farrier, Emmanuel Defossez, to learn more about his part of the level. He mentored me and motivated me―everyday. I’m grateful
showjumping team. for the time I spent with him.
Defossez started his career as a groom and then a rider. During
that time, he acquired a lot of knowledge from renowned French If you think about your career up to this point, what was
farrier, Jean-Louis Brochet, which built up Defossez’s respect for your greatest challenge and how did you overcome it?
horses and his determination to learn the trade. Brochet helped
Defossez develop a very original approach to horseshoeing.
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In Europe, when I went out on my own, I was shoeing for a lot
of top riders. Figuring out a way to manage and organize all of my