ENGLISH TEXTS
THE
BEST OF
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“ Visitors will , for example , be able to interact with an avatar of Golden Sixty !”
WINFRIED ENGELBRECHT-BRESGES
“ Before HISA , it was difficult to know if the performance of American horses was achieved under acceptable conditions . This is a major step forward , and we welcome it .”
WINFRIED ENGELBRECHT-BRESGES
“ In Australia , you end up being like the CEO of the training business ! That ’ s not what I wanted .”
MARK NEWHAM ,
“ I believe we need to demystify and democratize the world of racing . We are not disconnected from other spheres .”
Jean Brouqueyre
“ I love horses more than racing , no matter the discipline .”
Barbara Guenêt
“ I love the animal , the thrill of victory , but human relationships are truly what I value most .”
Fabien Rycroft
“ My goal is to win a Group 1 in all three disciplines as a trainer .”
Louis Baudron
“ When you start , it ’ s like riding a moped : your eyes water . Later , the more you progress , the better equipped and comfortable you are — you know how to steer .”
Yannick Fouin
“ Winning a classic race , even for an organization as significant as S . A . Aga Khan ’ s , is always challenging .”
Georges Rimaud
HEADLINE
NEWS
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They are breeders , owners , trainers , jockeys , or thoroughbred horses , and they have made the news this season . We will therefore give a voice to each of them . Every month in our upcoming editions , we will introduce you to our lucky winners .
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By Emmanuel Roussel
HOW THE PAPOT FAMILY FORGED ITS DESTINY
After modest beginnings , the Papot family ’ s racing colours and then their breeding operation abruptly changed status by changing methods , reaching heights that they have maintained almost unchallenged since 2009 .
The royal blue and green diamond silks of the Papot Family have regained the top spot in the French jumps owners ’ championship this year . They are more than a million euros ahead of Haras de Saint-Voir , which dethroned them in 2023 after a twelve-year reign at the top . These days , it ’ s rare to see a major Auteuil meeting without Xavier Papot , the family racing manager , appearing on Equidia , the French Racing TV . Sometimes anxious , sometimes euphoric , but always modest , the fifty-and-change-year-old believes it ’ s his duty to speak on air . He undertakes this exercise for the good of the sport , which has become , almost by chance , the glue that binds this family of entrepreneurs from western France . He does it for the punters , another pillar of racing , who are also its main financiers . And finally , he does it to share the long experience of the Papot silks with those who , one day , will try to follow in his family ’ s footsteps . Fourteen titles in sixteen years is no mean feat , especially after spending a quarter of a century trying in vain to climb the ladder . In the beginning , nothing had prepared Patrick and Nicole Papot , and later their children , for such an adventure . Family legend has it that Patrick Papot , during a visit to the village butcher , promised the latter a helping hand when his son became a trainer . The son in question was Yannick Fertillet , and when Mr . Papot forgot his promise , his wife Nicole reminded him . Hence de “ Mrs Papot ” in the owners ’ section of the racecard .
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