Sport horse breeding
Normandy
Est. 1987
Bred for greatness. Four decades of breeding international show jumpers, from the first foal to the Grand Prix ring.
Orvaine
The house
Orvaine is a family stud founded by Hélène Duroc in the green valleys of Normandy. We breed a small number of show jumping horses each year, raise them on grass, and produce them patiently, in the belief that a horse's mind is the most important thing it inherits.
At stud
The stallions
Three approved stallions, each chosen for his temperament as much as his talent.
Breeding
Every pairing,
considered
We study each mare and stallion for months before a covering: conformation, movement, mind and generations of performance. Then we wait eleven months to see if we were right.
Young horses
Raised on grass,
produced with patience
Our foals grow up in herds on two hundred acres of old pasture. Under saddle at three, competing at five, they reach the ring with sound bodies and confident minds.
Orvaine, in motion
Forty years of
quiet dedication
Services
From covering
to competition
Everything a breeder or rider needs, under one roof and one standard.
- 01
Stallion services
Fresh chilled and frozen semen from our approved stallions, shipped across Europe and worldwide.
- 02
Mare care & foaling
Insemination, scanning and 24-hour supervised foaling in our dedicated foaling barn.
- 03
Embryo transfer & ICSI
Advanced reproduction with our partner clinic, so competing mares can breed without missing a season.
- 04
Young horse education
Patient production from first saddle to first show, by riders who know our bloodlines intimately.
- 05
Sales & sourcing
Horses we have bred and produced, and a discreet search for the right horse beyond our own stable.
In numbers
40
Years of breeding
320+
Foals bred at Orvaine
27
Horses jumping internationally
200
Acres of old pasture
Calendar
Upcoming events
Open days, auctions and the shows where you can see our horses jump.
13
Feb 2027
Open day
Stallion Presentation
13 February 2027 · Orvaine, Normandy
17
Apr 2027
Auction
Elite Young Horse Auction
17 April 2027 · Orvaine, Normandy
05
Jun 2027
Breeding
Foal Show & Breeders' Lunch
5 June 2027 · Orvaine, Normandy
23
Jul 2027
Competition
Summer Grand Prix Weekend
23 – 25 July 2027 · International show, Deauville
Kind words
“Every foal we have bred by Valerian has his mind. That is worth more than any pedigree on paper.”
Journal
Notes from
the stud
Visit the stud
Come and meet
the horses
Viewings, stallion presentations and breeding consultations are by appointment, all year round.
