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By Emmanuel Rivron
CLÉMENT LEFEBVRE THROUGH THE EYES OF NICOLAS AND FABIEN LEFEBVRE
A FAMILY WITH A FLAIR FOR CRAON!
Winner of the latest Gr. 1 Grand Steeplechase de Paris despite not even being listed among the runners just hours before the race, Clément Lefebvre went on to claim the Anjou-Loire Challenge a few days later, still wearing the colors of the Papot family. And in the Lefebvre household, family values are more than just words, as explained by Nicolas, father of the 2024 Champion NH Jockey(“ Cravache d’ Or d’ Obstacles”), and by Fabien, a flat jockey himself and true mentor to his younger brother.
NICOLAS LEFEBVRE Deeply involved in pony racing for many years, Nicolas Lefebvre shares his perspective as a father and life- long horse enthusiast on his younger son Clément, the 2024 Champion NH Jockey.
Galorama. How did Clément catch the racing bug?
N. L. To be honest, I was living and breathing horses, through show jumping and racing in particular. I held, and still hold, a training license. So Clément had horses right outside the house in Craon. He was born into it. By the summer of his fourth year, he was riding his Shetland pony on his own. That pony, named Milton, was getting two sessions a day! Everything became an excuse to“ ride”- the couch, the mechanical horse. Actually, if there were a record for hours spent on a mechanical horse, Clément would be way up there!
G. That sounds like the perfect preparation for pony racing, doesn’ t it?
N. L. He started pony races as soon as he hit the minimum age, 7 years old. He was under the wing of Fabien, who was nearing the end of his pony racing career. As parents, we were lucky enough to see all four of our children compete in two races together. They’ ve always been very close. Clément won 110 pony races, while Fabien won 114, despite riding a bit less. I could tell Clément had talent, but I was keen not to rush things. In fact, he started jumping quite late. I repeatedly refused to let him ride ponies that were near-certainties to win. I always kept a handbrake on because I’ d seen a very talented kid burn out early from pony racing. You have to keep the hunger, like a young horse.
G. How did he transition from ponies to horses?
N. L. When he was in 6 th and 7 th grade, I had two racehorses in training that I was prepping on my neighbors’ track, the Paysan family. Every morning at 7, we’ d be riding together before school. Clément got up without complaint and was always right on time for class. He also did a huge number of work placements, partly thanks to Fabien’ s network. Even before he’ d raced much, Clément had been through some 30 stables, sometimes just for two or three mornings. He spent time with Nicolas Paysan, Baptiste Letourneux, Sandrine Tarrou, Alain de Royer Dupré, Jean-Paul Gallorini, Armel Le Clerc, Guy Chérel … the list goes on. For school, we built on Fabien’ s experience at AFASEC. We agreed as a family that Clément would do a BEPA at the Craon Hippodrome Family School, so right at home, then a vocational baccalaureate. He had an amateur license but was allowed to ride during the week, except during his final year.
G. Do you remember his first win?
N. L. Yes, it was at Plestin-les- Grèves, both on the racecourse and the beach, I’ d never been there before. Clément hadn’ t placed in any race yet, but he went
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