Showjumping wunderkind joins Richard Mille's list of ambassadors

Showjumping champion Flore Giraud joins Richard Mi — Richard Mille

France’s most up-and-coming showjumping champion Flore Giraud is one of the latest additions to Richard Mille’s list of inspiring individuals.

Known for engaging top athletes and influential public figures in various industries as brand ambassadors, Richard Mille welcomed Giraud into the fold recently.

In a sport which is currently regaining popularity throughout the globe, Giraud is jumping leaps and bounds on her way to peak performance.

“I was riding even before I was born, ” says the 24-year-old, acknowledging that her passion for all equestrian things comes from her mother. When I was a little girl, you couldn’t get me out of the stables. I was riding, grooming, mucking in – I’d have slept there too if they’d let me! I had my first Shetland Poney when I was just four and started competing at eight”.

A rising star in the world of showjumping, she has experienced much success in international Grand Prix such as Knokke, Equita Lyon, Wellington US and the 2019 Longines Masters in Paris.

“To nurture a relationship with horses requires sensitivity. They give you so much, you really have to build an instinctive relationship and that takes years of dedication. Of course, they sense how important it is when the Big Day comes. They are away from their home, they feel the crowd. Above all they sense your adrenaline. After all, you are demanding incredible achievements from them. You don’t get that without putting in the effort, ” says.

Giraud works at the estate Haras de Lecaude, located near Deauville in Normandy in France, which houses state-of-the-art facilities, equipped with an all-season riding arena, gallop apparatus and a spa.

Horses, “the true athletes” as she insists, deserve only the best, with massages to ease their much in demand muscles.

“It’s exactly the same as Formula 1. Edward Levy and I are the two riders at the Haras but all the staff around us make up the team, just like the technicians you find in the pits”.

Mental attitude is 90% of the sport and Giraud has her own mental coach.

“It quickly becomes a virtuous circle of winning, positive attitude and how to cope with any down phases”.

The partnership with Richard Mille was set in motion when Giraud met Amanda Mille, Richard Mille’s daughter and the brand’s head of clientele.

Things “clicked” instantly as both ladies share a vision about the role of women in international competition.

Flore Giraud wearing the RM 07-01 Automatic in Carbon TPT and Titanium. — Richard Mille

“It’s almost unique to have a sport where we compete on equal terms with men. On top of this I was struck by the brand’s commitment to detail. Our performance lasts a minute, but many years of preparation go into that minute. Every part of every second counts. I love the minutiae of perfection”.

Giraud wears the RM 07-01 Automatic in Carbon TPT and Titanium, which she adores due to its supreme lightness.

“That’s exactly what I’m striving for when I approach each and every hurdle.”.

This French woman is one to watch, as she sets her sights on more international events, including the 2024 Paris Olympics.