ENGLISH TEXTS
G. Tell us about your beginnings.
B. D. B. I went to work a former racehorse at a friend’ s place in the Paris region. She told me,“ You know this was a crack?” I looked into the horse, named Sean. He was a former Rothschild horse who had finished third in the Prix Hocquart( Gr. 3 at Longchamp) and had been retired due to tendinitis. But his legs looked perfect to me. We called in the vet who looked after my brother’ s horses, and he gave us the green light. I loaded my truck and left with Sean and another horse for Lyon, where I knew quite a few people. Maxime Césandri hosted me, and I began training at the end of 1977. At the time, to set up you needed two sponsors and three sets of silks. My sponsors were Étienne Mazoyer, my father figure in racing, and Jean Boulard. The silks were my father’ s— blue jacket, navy blue Saint Andrew’ s cross, blue cap— those of Étienne Mazoyer, and Bernard Noirot, for whom I rode in the provinces. Sean won the Grand Prix de Hyères and then repeated at Vichy. I then had good owners like Hubert Carion— my career was underway! Sean took me to Lyon; another horse sent me towards Maisons-Laffitte: Trypolo *. He won the Grand Steeple for four-year-olds at Lyon-Parilly in 1985. There was little left for him to run for in the East. My friend and colleague Jack Barbe advised me to enter him at Enghien and Auteuil. He was
right, as Trypolo notably won the Prix Maurice Gillois, the four-year-old Grand Steeple, in 1985. I told myself,“ This is where it happens, in Paris!” and I moved to Maisons- Laffitte in 1986. My great pride is that I was leading trainer in my final year in Lyon, ahead of my mentor Étienne Mazoyer!
G. Your horses often enjoyed very long careers. Was there a“ Balanda method”?
B. D. B. A method, I don’ t know, but respect for the horse was central to everything. I’ m convinced that the most important thing is not knowing how to prepare a horse, because if you don’ t know that, you shouldn’ t be training, but knowing how to manage recovery after a race. Can the horse run again in ten days, three weeks, a month? You have to observe him carefully to preserve the rest of his career.
G. How have you seen racing evolve over time?
B. D. B. I loved Enghien racecourse, what a shame it was closed to jump racing! It was a true stepping stone to Auteuil; horses weren’ t overfaced there. Compiègne cannot claim to replace it, it’ s not comparable. Enghien allowed for progression. I find today’ s race programme less well structured than before, and it has become harder to plan the careers of midlevel horses. Today, trainers have to take shares in almost every horse. And for most of my career there were no freelance jockeys, you didn’ t have to call their agent, you spoke to them directly! I had Thierry Gillet, Denis Leblond, Laurent Métais, Dominique Bressou, Yannick Fouin, Boris Chameraud based with me. I trained quite a few jockeys! I’ m proud of the success of lads like Bressou or Fouin— I hope they learned things from me. I came through at the right time, in the right era. I’ ve been lucky enough to always make a living from my passion.
G. What is your best memory in racing?
B. D. B. Perhaps the tribute paid to me at Auteuil during the last NH weekend in November. When they handed me the microphone in the parade ring, I had my two granddaughters against me, and when I turned my head I saw my sons in tears. It moved me deeply, and I nearly lost my words! I had never counted my victories. When they showed the statistics, I thought,“ That’ s not so bad after all!” On November 29, when Ocre won the Prix Sytaj, a Group 3— the last race of my career— it was pouring rain. When I went into the racecourse restaurant, my colleagues and the professionals present gave me a standing ovation. It really shakes you! Dominique Bressou will now train Ocre. The Prix Sytaj was also the first Group victory for Matthieu Ponson’ s Searching silks, which made the moment even more special. Winning races is normal when you train, so my fond-
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