Bartabas (born Clément Marty, 2 June 1957) is the performing name of a French

horse trainer A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for e ...

, film producer and impresario. He created his first

theater company Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

at age seventeen, and later founded the performing troupe, Cirque Aligre. In 1984, he founded the equestrian performing show, Zingaro, which means "Gypsy". The name was taken from the name of his first horse, a spectacular

Friesian horse The Friesian (also Frizian) is a horse breed originating in Friesland, in the Netherlands. Although the conformation of the breed resembles that of a light draught horse, Friesians are graceful and nimble for their size. It is believed that ...

who was also the star of his shows. He also produced two movies: Mazeppa (1993) and Chamane (1995), both of which featured spectacular equestrian action. '' Mazeppa'' was entered into the

1993 Cannes Film Festival The 46th Cannes Film Festival was held from 13 to 24 May 1993. The Palme d'Or went to '' Farewell My Concubine'' by Chen Kaige and ''The Piano'' by Jane Campion. The festival opened with ''My Favorite Season'', directed by André Téchiné and cl ...

where it won the Technical Grand Prize. Though he is not a household name in the United States, among those who know horses he is considered one of the most talented trainers currently livin

In Japan, he is well known for his performances which blend equine acrobatics and explosive pyrotechnics. In 2002, he founded the Académie du Spectacle Équestre (Academy of Equestrian Arts

in the Grande Ecurie of the

Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 19 ...

References

French entertainers French film producers French film directors French Romani people Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite Living people 1957 births {{France-film-bio-stub