ENGLISH TEXTS
� PAGE 52
HE SAID IT ALL , ONCE AND FOR ALL
André Fabre rarely gives interviews , and practically never to the French press . The falling-out dates back to 1983 ( see journalist Jean Biju ’ s account on this subject ). However , between 1973 , the start of his professional jockey career , and 1983 , he was quite open with the press and the public , discussing his work freely . He broke his silence again in September 1990 when he felt his integrity was questioned by a stewards ’ decision that implied he had told one of his jockeys to let a stablemate win . So , he understands the role of the press and uses it only when it serves his purpose . How can we hold it against him today ? He has , however , always continued to answer questions from the British horse racing press . The context is different across the Channel . It doesn ’ t really matter anymore . Having based his career on principles that seem never to have wavered , building his success on the foundations laid by the masters of his time , André Adèle and François Mathet , we could piece together today , using the bits and pieces he has revealed here and there over the years , a completely relevant interview , with recurring themes , year after year , and no doubt still relevant today .
France Soir , 4 / 11 / 73 , Gérard Brami
« I started riding in Berlin , where my father was posted . It was love at first sight . I only rode if my school results were good . My good grades were rewarded with riding lessons . At 21 , I arrived in Paris to study law . I still rode horses , but in show jumping , where I achieved some good results at the national level . I knew nothing about racing . A mutual friend introduced me to jumps trainer Léon Gaumondy for a kind of advanced training course ... I admit that I owe my licence partly to the events of May 68 . I skipped almost all my classes for training and racing . The professors at the exam were very lenient , which suited me fine .»
« I was lucky enough to meet André Adèle , a man who seems to have understood horses so well that all his horses seem happy despite the restrictive environment in which they live .»
« It ’ s such a difficult job . Great jockeys do a lot of things in races that come naturally to them , but which are difficult for me to achieve , as I ’ m only just starting out .»
Week-End , June 78 , Michel Bouchet
« Taking a horse , training it , teaching it its trade and seeing it gradually blossom is obviously the most captivating thing about this profession . But we mustn ’ t forget the disappointments and hard knocks that are part and parcel of the job . I have the great opportunity to train horses that I know perfectly well , having often ridden them in training and in races . I have also had the even greater privilege of working alongside a true horseman . André Adèle taught me everything I know , but above all , he instilled in me a certain philosophy of the profession that his vast experience had given him .»
Michel Bouchet , born and raised in Chantilly , concluded his article with these words : « Like his master , his horses stay outside for a long time and they work very gently , with confidence , and they look happy .»
Paris Turf , 1980 , Louis Deniel
« If you ask me who the architects of our success are , I will answer André Adèle , my wife and the stable staff . André Adèle , three years after his death , is still 80 % responsible for my horses ’ victories . My wife , who is in the saddle every morning , participates in all the gallops - which , at seventy kilos , I can no longer do . And every trainer knows that good horses are no longer good if the people around them are not up to scratch .»
« I don ’ t think there ’ s any revelation as such . In 1978 , I won twenty-four races : in 1979 , forty-four . This year , in 1980 , people are talking more about me because it was about tiercés and a lucky streak . However , I do believe that I ’ m training better . I apply the methods of the ‘ boss ’ ( he continues to refer to André Adèle as ‘ the boss ’). The basis of the work is a half-speed six-furlong gallop , in a group , just enough to build up a horse ’ s muscles and get it breathing , without tiring it out . Quality horses that are ready go all the way without weakening . The art of the trainer is to detect , in those who weaken , the reasons for their weakness . André Adèle , who served his apprenticeship before 1914 under the great American trainer Leigh , was , in his methods , an American trainer . Another example : feeding . In Europe , the basis is oats at will . He believed that oats were only a supplement , to be rationed , and that good hay should be the main component of their diet , for as long as the horse wants it . This is another American principle . I assure you : we used to go and observe at Belmont Park or in California what was on our doorstep , on Avenue du Mesnil in Maisons-Laffitte .
117