SHF - Société Hippique Française

What SHF - Société Hippique Française does

SHF - Société Hippique Française is the official French federation dedicated to horse and pony breeding and young horse competition circuits, operating since 1865 from its headquarters in Paris. The organization serves as the umbrella entity for 16 affiliated breed associations (Organismes de Sélection) — including Stud-Book Selle Français, Anglo-Arabe, and multiple pony breeds — and 13 regional breeder associations (Associations Régionales d'Éleveurs) covering all French regions. Its core function is to organize and standardize competition circuits across disciplines (CSO/show jumping, Dressage, Complet/eventing, Attelage/driving, Endurance, Hunter, and PRATIC) for horses and ponies aged 0-6 years, and to manage breed registries, breeder premiums (Prime aux Naisseurs), and ranking systems (Top 100).

SHF operates a web-based platform ecosystem centered on three pillars: the SHF Account (Compte SHF) for member management, registrations, and competition entries; SHF Video, a streaming platform with a searchable videotheque of competition footage available via unit purchases (€18), season pass (€180/year), or premium pass (€300/year); and SHF Market, a free classified marketplace for members to list horses and ponies aged 0-6. The federation runs flagship annual events including Les Grandes Semaines SHF across each discipline and So'Pony at Fontainebleau, supports rider training through Qualiopi-certified Formations Label Cavaliers, and partners with IFCE, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cavalor, L'Eperon, AFCE, and Equiclasses to deliver member services.

Revenue is generated through annual membership dues (€25-€160 depending on member category), video subscriptions, free classified listings (freemium), and ancillary services such as magazine subscription facilitation. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on direct member engagement via the SHF account platform, regional association networks, breed organizations, and annual events rather than direct sales. SHF operates exclusively within the French domestic market with no disclosed international expansion.

Name

SHF - Société Hippique Française

Legal name

Société Hippique Française (SHF)

Website

https://shf.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1865

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SHF - Société Hippique Française is the official French federation organizing young horse and pony competitions, managing breed registries across 16 breeds, and providing membership services, video documentation (SHF Video), and a classified marketplace (SHF Market) to breeders, owners, and riders across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equestrian Federation Services

NAICS

Horses and Other Equine Production (112920), All Other Animal Production (11299)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Yearling/Weanling Raising & Sales Prep (AFAEAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Equine Veterinary, Welfare & Anti-Doping Services (MPAEADAJ), Stallion Services & Semen Collection/Distribution (AFAEAGAB)

Keywords

• Equestrian federation
• Sport horse breeding
• Young horse competitions
• Equestrian video platform
• Horse marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SHF generates revenue through annual membership fees from individual members (breeders, owners, riders) and organizational members (breeder associations, selection organizations). The standard SHF membership is €50 per year, with varying fees for different association types ranging from €25 to €160.
2. SHF Video Subscriptions: Revenue from video streaming subscriptions including unit purchases (€18 per video), season pass (€180/year), and premium pass (€300/year for full videotheque access). Videos document competition performances of horses and ponies.
3. SHF Market Listing Fees: Free listing platform for members to sell horses and ponies aged 0-6 years and broodmares. The platform provides commercial services to help breeders market their equines.
4. L'Eperon Magazine Subscription: SHF facilitates subscription to L'Eperon equestrian magazine at €35 for 4 issues per year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SHF (Société Hippique Française) is the official French federation for sport horse and pony breeding, organizing national competition circuits for young horses and ponies across six disciplines (CSO jumping, Dressage, CCE eventing, Endurance, Attelage driving, Hunter). It supports 16 affiliated breed associations and 13 regional breeder associations, and offers an integrated member platform (Compte SHF) with paid video streaming (SHF Video), a member-only horse-listing marketplace (SHF Market for 0-6 year-old horses and broodmares), and a Top 100 breeding statistics and labelling service (Label Cavalières SHF).

Product overview

SHF (Société Hippique Française) operates as a federation managing equestrian breeding and competition circuits in France. The core platform consists of member account management (Compte SHF), competition video streaming (SHF Video), and a marketplace (SHF Market). The organization runs two main competition circuits: Circuit Elevage (0-3 years, breeding-focused) and Circuit 4/6 ans (valorization/development for young horses and ponies). Key branded events include Les Grandes Semaines SHF (covering CSO/Hunter, Complet, Dressage, Attelage, Endurance) and So'Pony (annual pony championships at Fontainebleau). Supporting services include Top 100 rankings, membership subscriptions, rider training (Label Cavaliers with Qualiopi certification), podcast content, and a searchable video library. SHF affiliates numerous breed selection organisms (Organismes de Sélection) and regional breeder associations across France.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SHF Video: Video platform for filmed equestrian competitions with live streaming and archived footage
• SHF Market
• SHF Vidéothèque
• So'Pony
• Les Grandes Semaines SHF
• Top 100
• Circuit SHF 4-6 ans
• Label Cavaliers SHF

Products and services

• SHF Membership (Adhésion SHF) Annual paid federation membership for individual breeders, owners, riders and drivers that unlocks access to the Compte SHF account platform, eligibility to enter SHF-sanctioned competitions across all six disciplines, and use of member services including SHF Video and SHF Market.
• SHF Video Online video streaming service broadcasting SHF-sanctioned competitions in CSO, Dressage, CCE, Endurance, Attelage and Hunter, available to members and subscribers in Free, HD and HD + Marque tiers, with individual video and pack purchases offered as well.
• SHF Market Online horse-sale listings marketplace accessible to SHF members to advertise and discover sport horses, ponies, and broodmares aged 0-6 years, intended as a free member service rather than a paid ad platform.
• Compte SHF (SHF Account) Personal member account platform at compte.shf.eu that centralizes SHF membership management, online competition entry, access to results, and connection to SHF Video and SHF Market services.
• Les Grandes Semaines SHF Major annual SHF competition event bringing together national circuits for young horses, including the Catégorie Élite, which concludes the SHF 4 and 6 ans circuits and serves as the central showdown for French sport horse breeding competitions.
• So'Pony National SHF competition circuit dedicated exclusively to ponies and their riders across the six SHF disciplines, with classifications used in the Top 100 pony rankings.
• Top 100 Annual breed statistics and ranking service publishing the Top 100 classifications of the best French sport horses and ponies by age group and discipline, used by breeders, riders and breed associations to inform purchasing and breeding decisions.
• Label Cavalières SHF Federation labelling service that classifies mares and stallions based on their own performance and progeny results within SHF circuits, with the resulting classification recorded on identification documents and used by breed associations for stud-book decisions.

Quantifiable outcome

• SHF Market provides free listing platform for horses and ponies aged 0-6 years and broodmares for all members
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IFCE (Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFCE is a co-organizer of SHF podcasts, providing educational content for riders and breeders. The partnership supports professional development in the French equine sector.
• Boehringer IngelheimminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterinary partner offering 'Mon Espace Véto' (My Vet Space) to SHF members, providing health resources and information for horse care.
• CavalorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNutrition partner providing 'Mon Espace Nutrition Cavalor' (My Cavalor Nutrition Space) to SHF members, offering feeding and nutrition guidance.
• L'EperonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading equestrian magazine partnership for subscription services. SHF facilitates magazine subscriptions as part of its member services offering.
• AFCE (Agence Française du Commerce d'Equidés)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFormerly CSCCF, this association represents horse traders, dealers, and brokers. SHF offers discounted AFCE membership to facilitate commercial transactions within the equine market.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• France Galop: The French horse-racing authority for flat and steeplechase racing. While SHF focuses on sport horses (CSO, dressage, eventing), France Galop is the analogous federation for thoroughbred racing, providing a direct category benchmark for French equine federations.
• Le Trot: France's national federation for trotting/harness racing. Comparable to SHF as a sport-discipline federation with membership, breeding programs, and competition circuits, but serving the harness racing community rather than sport horses.

Direct peers

• FFE - Fédération Française d'Equitation: The French Equestrian Federation is the national federation for equestrian sport (as opposed to SHF's focus on breeding/development). It is the closest direct peer — both are French national federations serving overlapping rider populations and often referenced together in the French equestrian ecosystem.
• KWPN (Royal Dutch Sport Horse): The Royal Dutch Warmblood Studbook is one of the world's leading sport horse breeding registries, comparable to SHF's role for French sport horse breeding (Selle Français, Anglo-Arabe). Both run selection programs, young-horse competitions, and breeder services.
• IFCE - Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation: France's national institute for the horse and equitation is a strategic partner of SHF and co-produces podcasts. It plays a parallel public-sector role in supporting French equine breeding, training, and welfare, making it a direct functional peer.

Others

• Cheval Liberté / Equiclasses: Equiclasses is an existing SHF technology partner that provides competition-official certification via its platform. It is an ecosystem/technology peer illustrating the kind of specialized digital service that competes for SHF members' digital engagement.

Emerging players

• Studbook Selle Français: The Selle Français studbook is itself an affiliated breed association under SHF, but it increasingly operates brand and selection programs (e.g., labellisation, young horse championships) comparable to SHF's broader federation role.

Regional players

• Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung (FN): The German National Equestrian Federation is the closest European counterpart to FFE and is comparable to SHF in organizing breeding programs, breed registries (e.g., Hanoverian, Holsteiner integration), and competition circuits.
• British Horse Society: The UK's national equestrian charity and membership body. Comparable in mission (membership federation supporting riders, breeders, and access to equestrian sports) but operates in the British market rather than France.
• Holsteiner Verband: The Holsteiner breed association is a leading European warmblood studbook, comparable to SHF's role in organizing breed-specific competition circuits, mare performance tests, and stallion approvals — but operating in Germany.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/societe-hippique-francaise

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SHF - Société Hippique Française