ENGLISH VERSION
I knew nothing about racing. If you don’ t love horses, it’ s difficult to share your life with a trainer who dedicates his entire life to them. Horses come before weekends and holidays. You need to be able to follow Gabriel to racecourses, and that was never an obstacle for me. This lifestyle suits me perfectly. I find balance and a lot of meaning in it.
GABRIEL LEENDERS IN FIVE QUESTIONS
G. His favourite sports?
A. H. L. He is passionate about every sport! From motorsports to football, including more niche disciplines. A PSG fan, he regularly goes to the Parc des Princes, but he is also capable of becoming fascinated by curling competitions on television. He watched EVERY sport during the Winter Olympics. He loves talking with toplevel athletes and trying to apply what he learns to his own training methods.
G. His favourite music?
A. H. L. Music is his great passion. From Bob Marley to Janis Joplin, through Céline Dion, Johnny Hallyday and Bon Entendeur, he listens to every style imaginable.
G. His holiday style?
A. H. L. They never last more than five or six days. He may start his holidays by catching up on lost sleep, but spending an entire day doing nothing is not in his nature. He is always highly motivated and constantly full of projects.
G. Superstitious?
A. H. L. Like many people in this indstry.
G. His motto? A. H. L. To enjoy life!
LA UNE
ICONIC SILKS
BY PIERRE CHAMPION
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It is the ceremonial attire par excellence. Historic, symbolic and emblematic, these racing silks have illuminated both the oldest epics and the“ duels” of modern times, captivating while writing the history of horse racing. At the halfway point between the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club and the Prix de Diane Longines, let us delve into the history of these mythical silks that have left their mark on the two great monuments of French racing.
PRIX DU JOCKEY CLUB FROM 1836 TO THE PRESENT DAY
The Colorful Epic of the Prix du Jockey Club
From its origins to the present day, the colors of the Prix du Jockey Club have dazzled and shimmered brightly in the memory of racing and breeding. The silks that have marked the history of the race are numerous, certainly, given its one hundred and ninety years of existence, but, as the comedian would say, some are more numerous than others! Such is the case with those of Marcel Boussac, for example, or the Aga Khan, not forgetting the adventures and misadventures experienced by several others. Beginning with those of the competition’ s founding father, Lord Henry Seymour, whose wonderfully apt nickname was“ Milord l’ Arsouille.”
Marcel Boussac’ s Exceptional Record The silks that shone most brilliantly in the Prix du Jockey Club, and which boast the highest number of victories, are none other than those of Marcel Boussac, the most important French owner-breeder of the twentieth century. The Boussac colors— orange jacket, grey cap, chosen in reference to those of Edmond Blanc( orange jacket, blue cap), a historic figure of racing and breeding at the turn of the 1900s— crossed the winning post twelve times in the Prix du Jockey Club, from 1922, when Ramus opened the account, to 1978, when Acamas closed the chapter. In between came the victories of Tourbillon in 1931, Thor in 1933, Cillas in 1938, Pharis in 1939, Ardan in 1944,
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