ENGLISH TEXTS
Balanda is retired! After half a century in the profession and 1,860 victories on the flat and over jumps, the now former trainer has headed for Normandy, not without feeling a certain fear of emptiness. But two months into his new life, everything is going rather well for this epicurean at heart.
It is a small, cheerful house nestled in the heart of Calvados, not far from Deauville. Timber framing full of local character, a few apple trees, an apple-green lawn … it could be mistaken for a postcard of the Norman countryside. In a paddock, two donkeys and a mare chat around a bale of hay: we recognize Romane Tame, Jehan Bertran de Balanda’ s“ little pony,” who accompanied him for years both on the show-jumping circuit and on the racecourse at Maisons- Laffitte. She too has retired, following her rider and his wife, Véronique, into their new adventure. Inside the house, a fire crackles in the fireplace. Its gentle warmth makes sipping a small coffee all the more enjoyable. Two dogs lounge on the sofa while Jehan de Balanda, eyes sparkling, tells his story.
GALORAMA. How are you experiencing retirement?
Bertran de Balanda. Much better than I expected! I was afraid I would feel a sense of loss, but I’ ve found my rhythm. I take golf and Pilates lessons, we go to the cinema a lot … I’ m also a member of the committee of the
Clairefontaine racecourse. Véronique and I love living in Normandy, in this house we bought about fifteen years ago from an elderly lady who had been born here! It was a lucky break. My son Nicky’ s stud farm is very close by, my other son Olivier is also in the area— he runs a restaurant in Manneville-la-Pipard, La Cantine des Fanfarons. I get to enjoy spending time with them. I went back to my former yard at Maisons- Laffitte on January 22 for the first time. I wanted to see my horses schooling over fences with Nathan Vergne, who is now based in my former courtyard. I had a knot in my stomach when I left home, but I ended up having a wonderful morning thanks to Nathan, and I was happy to come back here afterward. Since retiring, I no longer have back pain! My aches were stress-related.
G. Why did you stop at the end of 2025, at 71, and not earlier or later?
B. D. B. It’ s not easy to say“ I’ m stopping” when you have a passion-driven profession. I started in racing at fifteen! I loved training, and in forty-seven years of career I never once needed an alarm clock to get up at 5 a. m. Current circumstances are what pushed me to turn the page. I focused on morning work and no longer went out much to seek clients— I was a bit overtaken by events. And over the last two or three years, I started to fear accidents when going to the racecourses. Jump racing is a demanding discipline, and I felt responsible if something serious happened.
G. You were born into a family of show-jumpers. Why choose racing?
B. D. B. My grandfather, Pierre, was Olympic vice-Champion in show jumping at the 1928 Amsterdam Games with his horse Papillon XIV. My father, Marc, who was officially a winegrower, spent most of his time on competition grounds with his great friend, the legendary rider Pierre Jonquères d’ Oriola, who became my sister’ s godfather. My brother Gilles was twice World Champion in team show jumping, twenty years apart, in 1982 and 2002. He rides beautifully, and we talk a lot“ horse-wise.” I myself competed in show jumping up to Junior level, often on reformed thoroughbreds my father found for us. I was small, light— and above all a poor rider, so I quickly ended up at racing school!
G. And you started out as a jockey …
B. D. B. Yes, but I was hopeless! Light and serious, yes, but that’ s not enough. I didn’ t have the nerves, and in any case training was what truly fascinated me. I observed the methods of my successive employers a great deal: Pierre Etchebest in Pau, then Étienne Mazoyer in central France. Later I worked for François Boutin, and even though our collaboration was fairly short, he taught me a tremendous amount about handling young horses.
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