Saumur, France, EURO EQUUS

Saumur is a town in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France, more than 300 kilometres south-west from Paris. It is situated between the Loire and Thouet rivers and surrounded by vineyards in Saumur town itself, as well as in Bourgueil, Chinon, Coteaux du Layon and others. Saumur railway station provides links to Tours, Angers and Nantes. The castle of Saumur was built in the 10th century for protecting the Loire River crossing from Norman attacks. The castle, which was destroyed in 1067, was rebuilt in the later 12th century by King Henry II of England. It changed the owner several times between Anjou and France until 1589.

Saumur is home of the Cadre Noir (National School of Equestrianism), famous for its annual horse shows, the Armoured Branch and Cavalry Training School, an officer training school for the armoured forces. There is also a national tank museum, the Musée des Blindés, with more than 850 armoured vehicles, both wheeled and tracked. Most of them come from France, but some also come from Brazil, Germany and the other countries. Every year, for more than 160 years, a military event has been held here in July to showcase the skills of cavalry, historical and modern military vehicles. Saumur is a new member of EURO-EQUUS association from 2021.