 A slogan of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, first used on a promotional poster in 2003, describes the event as ""Ce n'est pas une course, c'est un monument"" – "It's not a race, it's a monument".The Société d'Encouragement, a former governing body of French racing, had initially restricted its races to thoroughbreds born and bred in France.In 1863, it launched the Grand Prix de Paris, an event designed to bring together the best three-year-olds from any country.