ENGLISH TEXTS ring on the program; highly motivated children, sometimes even a little tense from wanting to do well. A heterogeneous crowd that’ s a pleasure to see gradually forms: Olympic eventing champions, show jumpers, hunters, houndsmen, horse and cattle breeders, trainers, jockeys, stallion managers, farmers, local press, YouTubers, organizers of an international eventing competition … All of them came to this faraway Vaumas. They gallop, they jostle, they cut lines, they jump; sometimes they fall or refuse, but all of it with joy, and if a few tears of frustration fall, they eventually dry. Even the rain quickly decides to move away and cannot stand up to this whole little world. And the day seems endless: a giant aperitif at sunset, then a banquet worthy of the indomitable Gauls, songs rising, music swelling, dances following one another, and that smile fixed on every face. So yes, today you’ ve been told the“ life in pink” side of the story, but it’ s to better celebrate the hours of preparation, the liters of sweat, the Excel spreadsheets to secure funding, the insurance companies to reassure, the efforts, and the stressful moments. Vaumas 2025, you fed a passion for racing, for horses, for beautiful friendships, and for a joyful future for the sport. And that is powerful!
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PEDAGO
WHEN YOU DON’ T HAVE OIL, YOU HAVE IDEAS!
BY CÉLINE GUALDE
The economic crisis affecting breeders of thoroughbred racehorses has probably not yet reached its peak. Disappointing sales are compounded by a reduction in prize money initiated by France Galop, which is seriously impacting hopes of earnings through breeders’ premiums. Everyone is trying to get by while waiting for the storm to pass. This perilous situation will leave many breeders by the wayside. But could it also have some positive repercussions?
The figures are now consolidated: in 2025, the number of thoroughbred mares covered fell by 4.4 %. For AQPS mares, the verdict is even harsher: – 13.5 %. These non-thoroughbred broodmares are destined for NH racing, the segment of the gallop industry currently suffering the most. Everything suggests that this trend will intensify in 2026, as almost all the breeders we contacted say they have already parted with several mares or are about to do so. Among the exceptions is Edwige le Métayer of the Haras du Buff in Normandy. This operation mainly lives off boarding, with many foreign clients. The breeder’ s own broodmares have very strong pedigrees, so their progeny continue to achieve good results in the sales rings. Karine Perreau, based in the Nièvre, enjoyed an astonishing season on the racecourses, where her“ small ones” won twenty-eight races last year, including three Group races. On the same weekend at the end of November, Ocre and Koktail Brut gave her a Group 3 at Auteuil and a Group 2 in Ireland respectively.“ The only reason I managed to get through was thanks to the breeders’ premiums I received, because I hardly sold anything last year. I have almost no horses in training and marketing my foals has always been my main source of income. Now I have ten yearlings and the same number of two-year-olds in stock … I drastically reduced the number of mares I covered as early as 2025: instead of sixteen or seventeen in foal, there were only twelve at the start, and ten in foal today. Climbing to eleventh place in the ranking of French breeders did not bring me any new clients.” The same sentiment is echoed by Laurence Gagneux, based in Normandy near the Haras du Pin, who can boast of having bred Diamond Carl, winner of the 2025 Grand Steeplechase de Paris for the Papot colours.“ Last year I anticipated the situation by covering only six mares out of twelve or thirteen. This year my morale is so low that I haven’ t yet defined my covering plan! After the Grand Steeple I didn’ t get a single
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