ENGLISH TEXTS
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JUMP
By Paul Casabianca
DORIAN PROVOST, TOP OF HIS CLASS
This May, 19-year-old Dorian Provost lost his apprentice allowance, won his first Quinté +, claimed his first Listed race and landed his first treble. A remarkable achievement for this talented and ambitious former apprentice, crowned Etrier d’ Or in 2023.
“ I am young, it is true; but to noble souls, worth does not wait for the number of years.” This line from Pierre Corneille’ s Le Cid perfectly captures the spirit of Dorian Provost. A gifted young rider, conscientious, driven and composed, whose only true inspiration comes from racing and its people:“ I’ m often asked if I was a fan of a jockey growing up or if I had a role model when I started out,” recalls the former apprentice of Yann Barberot.“ The truth is, I always tried to learn the best from each of my peers, by studying how they ride and watching their races, but I never aimed to be like one specific person.” To resemble no one, to learn from mistakes and to build on experience, these are the foundations of his craft.“ I was immersed in the racing world from a very young age. Both my father and godfather were jockeys. Before beginning my apprenticeship with Yann Barberot at the age of 14, I competed in pony races, both flat and over jumps. I won about sixty of them. What I love about this job is the adrenaline of racing, the joy of riding and the thrill of crossing the finish line in first place.” And win he has, many times. Since his first ride in 2022, Dorian Provost has claimed 93 victories. Crowned Etriet d’ Or in 2023, he reflects on his apprenticeship years in Deauville, which later brought him to Chantilly for a new trainer and life:“ I want to thank Mr. Barberot for all those years by his side. It’ s thanks to him that I am where I am today. He taught me so much. Last September, I decided to move to Chantilly. After six months working with the horses of H. H. Aga Khan, I joined Victoria Head’ s yard. When you’ re young, you’ re always hungry for more. She trusts me to ride some of her horses. Mr. Barberot still regularly gives me rides; we’ ve maintained a great relationship. With my agent, Mathieu Cesandri, we’ re doing a solid job. The results are there. I ride 80 % of the time for Maxime Cesandri’ s stable, with whom I’ ve had quite a bit of success.”
A Month of Firsts As the saying goes, good things come in threes— and Dorian Provost would certainly agree. On May 4, he won his first Quinté +. Three days later, Barbate— a horse trained by his former mentor Yann Barberot— brought him his 86 th career win, marking his transition to professional status. On May 25, in Vichy, Provost landed his first treble. And to top it all off, the Angers native won his first Listed race aboard Rose Jaipur on May 29, right at home at Le Lion-d’ Angers.“ This year, one of my goals was to win my first Quinté, because those races are hard to win. There are no weight advantages in them. Turning professional was the natural next step. Like everyone, I was a bit apprehensive about losing my claim. But I must say, things are going quite well so far, and I haven’ t really felt the change too much.” To keep working, to move forward steadily but surely— that’ s the mantra of this talented young rider, already wise beyond his years:“ I’ ve always been around people older than me. And I’ ve always been treated like an adult. I still make mistakes, but every race is a lesson, and every win is a stepping stone. Things have changed in the jockeys’ room— I feel more respected now. And above all, I try to ride cleaner races than when I first started. It’ s not easy to find your place in the field, especially when you’ re an apprentice. No one gives you a break.” On track to break his 2023 record of 35 wins— his next target— Dorian Provost simply hopes to keep the momentum going. Is he
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