ENGLISH VERSION
FRANCE GALOP’ S REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE COLOURS IN FRANCE
BY ALICE BAUDRELLE
An owner’ s colours are determined by the combination of the patterns on the body of the racing silk, the sleeves and the cap, together with the authorised colours. The owner may choose from 25 patterns for the body, 12 for the sleeves, 10 for the cap, and 18 colours: the 3 elements must include at least 2 colours, exceptionally 3, but it is forbidden to sew letters or a logo onto the racing silk. An owner may however be authorised by the stewards of France Galop to display an advertising logo on his racing silk during a public race, provided that a written request has been submitted to them beforehand. Here again, there are restrictions: advertising logos and brands linked to tobacco, alcohol, religion or political parties are prohibited.
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XAVIER HONDIER
“ A RELAXATION OF THE REGULATIONS ON RACING SILKS COULD ATTRACT MORE OWNERS”
BY ALICE BAUDRELLE
Head of an owners’ training establishment in Maisons- Laffitte, Xavier Hondier rode in races from 1987 to
2011, recording around 300 winners. Among his finest victories were the Prix Léon Olry-Roederer, three editions of the Grande Course de Haies de Merano, and the Grande Course de Haies de Milan. While he supports the modernisation of racing silk materials, he is nevertheless in favour of relaxing the regulations at France Galop:“ In certain countries such as the United States or Australia, owners are allowed to have a logo or design sewn onto their racing silks. That is not authorised here, and I think it is a shame because I believe it could attract more owners.”
A LATE EVOLUTION IN FRANCE
BY ALICE BAUDRELLE
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Between the 1940s and 1950s, the United States became the first country to industrialise synthetic materials. Although silk was considered a noble fabric, it absorbed moisture and became considerably heavier in bad weather, not to mention its lack of durability and long drying time. The intensive rhythm of American racing, far greater than in Europe, pushed the United States to adopt synthetic fabrics for obvious practical reasons. England, however, resisted this evolution until the early 1970s, favouring the prestige of silk over the advantages of nylon, which was regarded as a vulgar material. Eventually, the country capitulated following the introduction of mandatory protective vests for jockeys worn underneath racing silks, which rendered silk completely unsuitable( as it is not stretchable). Ireland followed the same path at around the same time, and France ultimately banned silk in the early 1990s. And a far more limited design than in the USA At the beginning of the 1950s, the United States also developed the design of racing silks following the multiplication of owners and the saturation of existing combinations. An American racing silk may include initials, such as those of Kenneth Ramsey— who owns horses in France trained by Gianluca Bietolini— or a single visual logo( horse’ s head, fleurde-lis, etc.). Australia is undoubtedly the major racing nation most open to this practice after the United States, whereas the majority of European countries remain fairly conservative on the matter. In France and Ireland, it is forbidden to sew initials or emblems onto a racing silk: the industrialisation of betting probably played a key role in this policy, as authorities sought to make racing silks easier for punters to identify. By contrast, initials and visual logos are permitted in Germany, where the racing model developed in a far more decentralised way. In England, the traditional regulations were relaxed in 2017 with the possibility
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