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An exhibition in the heart of a Loire winery near Saumur
A few kilometers from Saumur, the Domaine de Rocheville stands out as a place where art, wine, and nature meet.
Nestled in the heart of the vines, the Loire winery is hosting an exceptional photographic exhibition: “Equestrian Fusion”, by Sonia Meschine and Cyrille Mercier, as part of the Off Cheval Festival 2025.
Presented as part of the Off Cheval 2025 festival, it will be held from 18 October to 20 December 2025 in the estate’s tasting room.
Visitors will be able to discover around forty photographs dedicated to the beauty of horses, their bond with humans and the power of movement — a tribute that is both artistic and typical of Saumur.
The Off Cheval festival – Saumur’s equestrian identity
For centuries, Saumur has combined equestrian tradition with wine-growing heritage. The Cadre Noir, a global symbol of equestrian excellence, rubs shoulders with prestigious Loire wineries. Saumur has a deep connection with horses, symbols of grace and discipline.
In this spirit, every autumn, the Art Cheval Festival and its “little brother,” Off Cheval (the off-site version), transform the city of Saumur and its surroundings into a vast open-air art gallery. For an entire month, nearly thirty public and private venues in and around Saumur showcase the works of forty artists—amateurs and professionals alike—all inspired by the theme of the horse.
This artistic event offers the opportunity to explore the equestrian world in all its forms: painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, drawing, and even contemporary installations.
Domaine de Rocheville, true to its mission of blending art and wine, participates each year by inviting one or more artists to showcase their work in its tasting room.
This year, with Equestrian Fusion, the Loire winery brings together two complementary artists whose perspectives reveal the horse as a working companion, a sport partner, and a being of the heart.
Sonia Meschine : raw emotion
A member of the Club Photo Reflex de Saumur, Sonia Meschine has practiced photography for years — first out of passion, then as a genuine artistic expression. She focuses on capturing life as it unfolds, without artificial touches or over-editing. Her shots are raw, sincere, and deeply sensitive.
An instinctive and sensitive approach
Her universe is alive: concerts, performances, portraits, animals. Her approach is intuitive and spontaneous. She photographs “by instinct,” allowing movement and emotion to guide her eye. Her goal is to capture a glance, a bond, or a true emotion.
« I work on feeling and desire. What I love is capturing a moment, a look, a gesture, a real emotion. »
Three brand new series for Equestrian Fusion
For this exhibition, she presents three new series that explore different facets of the equestrian and natural world.
Dialogue in motion: complicity on stage
A black-and-white series centered on equestrian performances.
She stages horses and their riders in a delicate dance of humor, rearing, and complicity, evoking the magic of a live show built on mutual respect and trust.
« Where humans listen, the horse responds with tenderness and mischief. »
Pure Emotions : the tenderness of the human-animal bond
RCaptured at sunrise on the beaches and dunes of Brittany, this series tells a story of friendship and tenderness between Laure, Ludivine, and their horses.
It explores the intimate, almost poetic dimension of the human-animal bond, in particular through the relationship between Laure and her horse Centurion, a symbol of deep trust and complicity.
A view of Brittany: between sea and light
Oriented toward wider landscapes in Brittany, this series transports us from pointe Saint-Mathieu to the Minou Lighthouse, amid waves and shifting lights.
Through color and monochrome, Sonia celebrates the coastal power and nature’s serenity — lighthouses as guardians of time, surfers embodying freedom, and the ocean in all its calm and strength. It’s a true invitation to contemplation and escape.
A human and poetic perspective
Through these three series, Sonia reveals a profoundly human gaze, guided by instinct and sincerity.
Her world, full of softness and emotion, resonates wonderfully with that of Cyrille Mercier, more technical and sport-driven.
“I hope visitors feel, through my images, that invisible connection between human and horse — a fusion built on trust and mutual respect.”
Cyrille Mercier : the passion of the right gesture
Photographer and lifelong equestrian, Cyrille Mercier grew up immersed in the equestrian world. His father, a groom at the Cadre Noir de Saumur, passed on to him a deep love for the horse and a fascination for its natural elegance.
From horse rider to photographer
At age forty, Cyrille discovered photography — first to document family moments, then naturally shifting toward equestrian subjects. What began as a hobby became a true passion: capturing the beauty of movement.
“The horse came before photography. I simply combined my two passions. What I seek is to capture the precision of a gesture, the connection between rider and mount, without betraying the horse’s essence.”
A sportive and technical approach
His photographic work is rooted in a technical and athletic approach, nurtured by his equestrian background. He anticipates movements, detects the perfect moment, and seizes the concentration on riders’ faces.
He captures the precision of movement and the fusion between rider and horse through three series.
Three series at the heart of the equestrian world
The Cadre Noir in Saumur: the elegance of tradition
This first series pays tribute to the iconic Cadre Noir institution, a symbol of excellence and discipline.
Its images evoke the rigour of dressage and the grace of the riders, reflecting a deeply rooted equestrian tradition in Saumur.
Facial expression: intensity of effort
Capturing the intensity of equestrian sport, this series reveals riders’ concentration at moments of effort, with close attention to trust and determination needed in cross and jumping.
“I wanted to spotlight riders’ determination when tackling complex, technical combinations.”
International Equestrian Competitions in Pays de la Loire
Immersed in the heart of major regional competitions, this series captures the energy and mastery of the horse–rider partnership.
These images reveal the choreographic beauty of equestrian sport, balancing power, precision, and the intensity of the present moment.
Through Cyrille Mercier’s lens, sport becomes spectacle: the strength of a gallop, the suspended tension of a jump, the focus before the effort.
His photographs capture both the riders’ pride and the shared emotion between human and horse.
Each image celebrates the grace of movement and the nobility of the horse, offering a vibrant tribute to Saumur’s equestrian world.
Artistic fusion: between instinct and precision
At first glance, Sonia Meschine and Cyrille Mercier might seem to be opposites: one works instinctively, guided by spontaneity and sensitivity, while the other emphasizes technique and control of movement. Yet their artistic worlds respond to each other in a surprisingly complementary way.
The exhibition title, “Equestrian Fusion”, perfectly captures this encounter: an artistic — and also human — fusion around a shared subject.
“To me, the connection between our photos is the fusion between two beings,” Sonia explains.
For Cyrille, the horse is an athlete, a work in motion. For Sonia, it is a partner of the heart, a mirror of emotions. Together, their photographs create a harmonious ensemble where technical elegance meets the poetry of feeling.
This duality gives rise to a rich and balanced exhibition, where each image invites viewers to contemplate the horse from a different perspective: sometimes majestic, sometimes tender, always captivating.
“Sonia has an exceptional eye. She knows how to compose an image and bring out a genuine emotion,” Cyrille emphasizes.
“Working alongside her is a real pleasure. Our styles are different, but they complement each other perfectly.”
Art and wine in harmony at Domaine de Rocheville
A cornerstone of the Saumur region, Loire winery Domaine de Rocheville is renowned not only for the quality of its wines and its wine tourism hospitality but also for its cultural commitment.
Since its creation, the estate has cultivated a philosophy based on the balance between nature, terroir, and creativity at the heart of the Loire Valley wine region.
A sustainable, organic vineyard
The 17 hectares of vines at Domaine de Rocheville stretch along the tuffeau hillside of Parnay, a small village in Maine-et-Loire.
Committed to environmentally responsible practices from the start, the estate grows the emblematic grape varieties of the Loire Valley: Chenin Blanc for white wines and Cabernet Franc for reds.
In its eco-friendly winery, Domaine de Rocheville produces Loire wines under the Saumur-Champigny, Saumur Blanc, and Crémant de Loire appellations, expressing the full richness and finesse of its clay-limestone terroir.
A tasting room open to art
Since 2014, the estate’s tasting room has regularly been transformed into an art gallery overlooking the vineyards.
Painting, photography, drawing… season after season, the walls change decor and welcome creations from local and international artists. The concept is simple: bring together two passions that surprisingly complement each other — art and wine.
Tasting a Saumur-Champigny or a Crémant de Loire while admiring a painting or a photograph is like pairing the aromas of a wine with the colors of a canvas: they converse, complement, and inspire.
And if a particular artwork captures your heart between sips, good news: the pieces on display are available for purchase!
This year, the Equestrian Fusion exhibition continues the journey, blending art, wine, and nature in the heart of the estate’s organic Loire Valley vineyard.
Take the opportunity to discover our organic wines and the history of the estate during a guided tour of the winery and Rocheville’s troglodyte cellars (reservation required). A perfect way to combine culture, terroir, and sensory pleasure!
Practical information – Equestrian Fusion exhibition
📅 Dates: October 18 – December 20, 2025
📍 Venue: Domaine de Rocheville – Chemin de Béniquet, Parnay (near the Saumur Wine Route)
🕒 Entry: Free during opening hours, Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
🍷 Tasting: Wine tasting available, with the option to purchase the estate’s cuvées after the visit
💬 Access: Free parking on site – accessible to visitors with reduced mobility