By Jo de Roo
Photography: Jo de Roo, FEI/Nacho Olano, et al.
Raymond Lefèvre passed away on August 9, 2025 at the age of 71. The former bank director founded the globally renowned Elevage Ste Hermelle, which his daughter Adeline and her husband Aurélien Bigault will now continue.
Using carefully selected, modern mares with excellent pedigrees, Raymond Lefèvre sometimes created atypical crosses with stallions which resulted in a series of world-class international showjumpers with the Ste Hermelle suffix, such as Bingo (2011/st: Number One d’Iso un Prince - Ujade Ste Hermelle x Diamant de Semilly), Eras (2010/st: Vargas de Ste Hermelle - Anaya Ste Hermelle x Andiamo), Django (2013/st: Upercut Kervec x Anaya Ste Hermelle x Andiamo), Falko (2015/g: Vigo d’Arsouilles x Anaya Ste Hermelle x Andiamo), the mare Chance (2008: Calvaro Z - Nancy x Hemmingway); and Eyria (2014/st Upercut Kervec - Borgia Ste Hermelle x Vargas de Ste Hermelle).
Lefèvre had an expecially good eye for horses. This quality, combined with other qualities such as knowledge, patience, and his strong character, earned him a worldwide reputation as a top breeder. We spoke with his daughter Adeline, who, along with her husband (Aurélien Bigault) and her mother, will continue the success story and thus keep Raymond and his Elevage Ste Hermelle alive.
Q In 2009, your father told me he was a bank manager. Adeline...
“He was a bank director at CBC in Wallonia. He was the manager from 1976 until he was diagnosed with a cerebrovascular accident in 2012, a few months before he could take early retirement. He was an expert in providing loans, including to horse owners, farmers, and so on. He was very well-known in the banking world and held considerable decision-making power. He enjoyed an excellent reputation, partly due to his strong client relationships. In both the equestrian and banking worlds, he was known as a serious, authoritarian and respected individual.”
Q Did he already own horses at that time, Mrs. Lefevre?
“He bought his first horse in 1977. His parents were farmers and always had several horses. Raymond was 12 years old when his father died. He worked extensively on the farm, but started studying to pursue a career in banking. His brother took over the farm and specialized in breeding blue-and-white cattle. My husband also wanted to breed, but not with cows.”
Adeline: He bought a mare. In 1981, my parents bought a house and pastures on Rue des Culots in Gouy-Lez-Piéton (Belgium). Over time he built stables and an indoor arena, for example. My husband (Aurélien) and I built the infrastructure we’re in now in 2010. We financed it entirely with our own funds. We worked hard for it and continue to do so. We own 10 hectares. We also rent 30 hectares, alternating between pastures for our young horses and hay production for our horses.”
Adeline and Aurélien have a beautiful and practical complex, consisting of stables, a covered indoor arena, a solarium, a large outdoor arena, and many more...
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