ENGLISH TEXTS to take a step back and reflect on the worlds of gallop , trot and jumping . What unites these three disciplines , a part of the horse as masterpiece ? What sets them apart ? Are the techniques truly so different ? Does one surpass the others in terms of emotions ? On the eve of the World Trotting Championship , we reached out to professionals who excel in these three specialties and wake up each morning with the dream of shining at ParisLongchamp , Auteuil and Vincennes alike . Three worlds apart , really ?
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By Céline Gualde
LOUIS BAUDRON A TRAINER FOR ALL PACES
Louis Baudron trains across all three disciplines : trotting , Flat and jumps . This uncommon versatility is a family tradition , a legacy from his grandfather Jean-Pierre Dubois and his uncle ’ s , Jean-Philippe and Jean-Etienne , all three of whom have won the Prix d ’ Amérique .
Louis Baudron ’ s office is a vast room with wood-panelled walls , a very high ceiling and a large fireplace to keep it warm . Many stud masters and landowners have secluded themselves here to decide the direction of their breeding operations since the stud farm was founded by Céneri Forcinal in the 1850s . Among these men ... a woman , Camille Olry-Roederer , who ran the champagne house of the same name and bred here , among other champions , Jamin , born in 1953 , who at five years old became “ the fastest trotter in history “, with a km-rate record of 1 ’ 13 ’’ 6 . Les Rouges Terres is therefore a historic stud farm in Orne , acquired by Louis Baudron in 2007 when he was not yet twenty years old and had just won his first Group 1 in trotting as a trainer , the Critérium des 4 Ans . A victory all the more satisfying as the winner , Pirogue Jénilou , was bred by his late father Gilles . Photos of the champion adorn the walls of Louis ’ office , alongside Singalo , winner of the Prix de Cornulier in 2013 , Village Mystic , who won the Prix de Sélection in 2013 , and the filly Draft Life , winner of the Prix du Président de la République in 2017 and the Prix des Centaures in 2018 ... All Group 1 winners bred and trained by Louis Baudron : “ I got my licence at just eighteen , before I even had a driving licence !“
The School of Grandfathers Other photos have taken their place on the walls of the large office over the years : those of the Flat and jumps horses that Louis has bred or trained and that have shone in his white silks , red sash , red and white cap , a variation of the historic colours of his great-grandfather Baudron , whose cap was plain red . “ My grandfather Jean-Pierre Dubois passed on this curiosity about horses in general to me . I always saw him train in both disciplines and he had the champion jumpers Kotkijet and Indien Bleu at home at one time , among others ... that left its mark on me . When I was younger , I dreamed of becoming a Flat jockey , but at fifteen I was already too heavy ! I also learned a lot from my paternal grandfather , an exceptional horseman “. This other great name in trotting , Roger Baudron , won the 1989 Prix d ’ Amérique with Queila Gédé , beating the favourite Ourasi ... Louis ’ two grandfathers were great , albeit unofficial , masters , “ a bit like at circus school ,“ he smiles . With Jean-Pierre Dubois , he travelled extensively , particularly to the United States , where the man nicknamed “ the boss “ has a base . Like him , Louis is a jack-of-all-trades and an adventurer : didn ’ t he spend a year in Australia training thoroughbreds in Sydney ? “ There isn ’ t one discipline that I prefer , because what I like is precisely mixing trotting and galloping , even if at the moment I have slightly fewer jumps horses . But I ’ ve bought back a lot of foals by my stallion King Edward !“ This son of Martaline was bred at Les Rouges Terres , after Louis acquired his dam Kotkari . “ I knew this mare was for sale , and she came from the formidable Montesson line , like Kotkijet , a horse that marked my childhood . I mated Kotkari to Martaline , but she died shortly after the foal , who was King Edward , was weaned . I only had him left and I was in love with him , so I didn ’ t want to train him myself because I would have been too soft on him . I entrusted him to Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé “. King Edward won the Prix Duc d ’ Anjou 4yo Chase ( Gr . 3 ) at Auteuil .
So Many Strings to His Bow Training both trotters and gallopers is “ a wonderful way to open your mind ,“ according to Louis Baudron . “ They are complementary activities and allow me to meet people I would never have crossed paths with without this mix “. In the mornings , he can just as easily drive a trotter - especially the young ones , to get an idea of their potential - as ride a galloper in training , having been an excellent trotting jockey
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