ENGLISH TEXTS ing to me.” Five weeks into his French exchange Cottin gave Nathen his first ride on a horse called fee du bosc a four-year-old filly having her first career start at Dieppe. They finished 10 th but it was a completion and therefore a success. He found out through another staff member that he got the ride and had to borrow all his riding gear and saddle for his first race. On The journey home Nathen recalls vividly with a chuckle and smile that on the journey home Cottin rang him to ask him if he wanted to stay.“ I can barely remember the race it was over so quick. As I pulled up one of the other jockeys was having a go at me in French, so I cannot tell you what his problem was, but he wasn’ t happy. Luckily someone else stood up for me as we walked back into the weighing room, but I was buzzing so much I really didn’ t care. I just remember wanting to go again straight away. Then when he offered me the job full time to stay it was a shock and I had to carefully think about it because I enjoyed Toms but looking back I’ d of been stupid to have refused.” A year with Cottin lead to 25 rides which was exactly what he wanted to do and a trip down to Cagnes sur Mer where his best finish was third on a horse called Dolly Light. Nathen and I rode in the same race together at Dieppe where I’ m proud to say I beat him, something when I remind him always makes us laugh. The lack of success though made him consider a change and a mutuel friend mentioned moving to Mickel Seror who needed a young jockey.“ When I moved to Mickel’ s I didn’ t really want to race ride probably because I wasn’ t getting anywhere with it and lost the drive to keep going. I was learning a lot from him though, and he was pushing me in the mornings which I enjoyed but there was a lot of competition on in house with other jockeys and I lacked confidence in myself and my riding ability. It wasn’ t until the following summer in June 2021 that I had my first ride for him so over a year since id ridden in a race but in that time, I’ d thought about it a lot and trips home to the UK had helped me decide what I really wanted to do which was give it one last push. Amazingly it couldn’ t have gone any better. I rode a horse called Anny Glory at Compiegne in a claimer on his third career start after two very disappointing efforts so there was no pressure. I schooled her day before I she felt great so that gave me confidence, but he told me before that she’ s not a cadeaux for me. We went flat out, I was out the back just getting him to jump well and it fell into my lap as the leaders dropped away and she stayed on strongly to win which was surreal. I remember thinking where are the fireworks which is really weird but that’ s what I was almost half expecting.” He bursts out laughing realizing how strange that sounds but it’ s different for everyone in this game and a winner is a hard thing to do. By the end of 2021 six months after that first ride for Seror he had 49 rides and six winners including a new connection with Donation Sourdeau de Beauregard and an Auteuil winner on Le Comtesse bleu. In 2022 he had 198 rides and 17 winners but 2023 was Nathen’ s breakthrough year riding 31 winners and amassing over a million euros in prize money. On reflection I asked him what was his best day in the saddle?“ I want to say winning the 2 nd division of the quinte on Gold for Nizzy at Auteuil for Donation Sourdeau de Beauregard who I loved riding for, and it was even better that the horse was owned by Mickel too. I won on a horse called Redneck for Donation who was a very tricky ride so to get his head in front was pleasing. He also gave me my only ride in a group three on a horse called Mandurose, we finished 3 rd. I believe I was at my best however, the day I rode a treble at Cagnes sur Mer. It was the 11 th of December, and I won a claimer for David Windrif who was a big supporter of mine on a horse called Speed de Cerisy, Spes Energical was my next winner, and she was my favorite horse to ride in France for a good friend, Sam Sutton. I topped the day off with another win for the boss and David Dahan on Great Feeling. I don’ t think I’ ve given another horse a better ride then I did that day on Great
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