ENGLISH TEXTS
measurements … Then he’ d process all that and sell his report for € 1,000. There’ s a lot of showmanship and commercial offerings, but also some genuinely interesting proposals. I really believe in gait analysis videos. It’ s also useful for injury prevention. That said, I’ m 61 years old- I’ m not in favor of society becoming too sanitized. I still rely first and foremost on myself to find good horses.
PAGE 60
FRANCIS-HENRI GRAFFARD
BACK TO THE ARTICLE �
By Serge Okey
“ THE BEAUTY OF OUR PROFESSION LIES IN INSTINCT”
One of the star trainers in flat racing tried tracking technology, but eventually stepped away from it. With a certain distance, Francis-Henri Graffard prefers to stick to the essentials: his own judgment. Even if he fully understands that the future likely belongs to the digital revolution.
Galorama. Do you still use digital tools like data or AI?
Francis-Henri Graffard. No, I tried trackers, but I eventually gave up. When you have a large number of horses, implementation becomes too complicated. You really need someone by your side who can analyze the data, and that’ s not the case for me. I prefer to watch my horses all the time.
G. So, are you against it?
F. H. G. I wouldn’ t say that. I’ d even say I’ m not necessarily right. I think these are great tools, but maybe I’ m too old for them. Personally, I don’ t see the need. I manage just fine without. I still find time to observe my horses. It’ s the same with tracking: I like to see things with my own eyes.
G. So nothing will ever replace the professional’ s eye and expertise?
F. H. G. I wouldn’ t be so presumptuous, but my experience with data confirmed what I was already seeing. I’ m not a robot. That said, it’ s clearly the future. I’ ve noticed that more and more of my peers are using it.
G. What could make you change your mind?
F. H. G. If I were training on a racetrack, I definitely would, because the data would be comparable. I do use connected surveillance cameras, but not in all the stalls either.
G. You don’ t sound fully convinced...
F. H. G. I gave it a shot, but passed. I’ m not a numbers guy, I’ m still a craftsman. The beauty of our world, of our profession, lies in calling upon and trusting our in- stincts. We’ re not machines. But hey, to each their own. I’ m glad some people love it and use it very well. It’ s obvious that future generations will rely more and more on these tools. Who knows, maybe I’ ll come back to it one day.
� PAGE 63
BACK TO THE ARTICLE �
IA, A LE- VER TO ENHANCE THE USER EXPERI- ENCE?
AI is playing an increasingly significant role in the user experience and is making a grand entrance into sports. The NBA has invested heavily in enhancing spectator emotion, as have rugby and football, to name just a few, not to mention the recent Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Are horse racing keeping pace?
150