ENGLISH TEXTS like Kemboy, Vroom Vroom mag and Espoir d’ allen. Chanducoq has some big boots to fill then it seems, but he’ s in the right place to succeed. The sale started on Monday and the fireworks from the Parisian racecourse made their way to Deauville for the evening jumping session with the much-anticipated dispersal of the association between haras de st voir and Simon Munir and Issac Soude. Their 7 wildcards would have had every major bloodstock agent look over them with a magnifine glass but two it seems stood head and shoulders above the rest. First was Marci mam a son of Karaktar who is one from one having won a hurdle at Lyon on debut. It was a heated battle from the top of the stairs which saw the team of Anthony Bromley, Dan Skelton and two new faces to Deauville and purchasing in France of Mark and Lindy O’ Hare. The hammer came down at 520,000 euros and it was confirmed that he would be joining the expanding team of Skelton who is looking to win his first trainer title in the UK this year having lost it on the final day of national hunt racing this April to Willie Mullins. Two lots later saw the small diminutive figure of Mets ta ceinture a filly by hunters light trained by Anne Sophie Pacult in Maison lafette. Pacult had planned this filly career out meticulously to deliver 2 wins from three starts including last time out in a dominate displayed at Lyon in a AQPS group three. Six figures were obviously on the card but when the bidding began no one would have guessed where her price would have eventually reached. Bromley took up duties for the same team who bought merci mam and looked to have had secured her around the 500,000-euro mark when a new bidder entered the frame outside the ring. Up and up it went until Bromley landed the final bid at 710,000 euros leaving her with the top price lot for the sale. It was a fitting start to the sales which following on from a blockbuster 48 hours at Auteuil. For me that was 72 hours I won’ t be forgetting in a while. On to December for the return of Cagnes sur mer and Pau.
BACK TO ARTICLE
PONEYS
BELLA, THE ONE WHO STARTED IT ALL
BY MÉLODIE JANVIER
Very often, the mounts of the association Poneys au Galop help future star jockeys take their first steps in the saddle. For Bella, a pony from the South- East branch of Poneys au Galop, the role goes far beyond that. Portrait of the pony thanks to whom everything began
Bella— a name that was surely predestined. A grey Camargue pony, Bella belongs to Audrey of the Écuries du Bosquet, and like every“ Bella” worthy of the name, she is a bit mischievous— never mean, far from it, but with a fiery temperament. So when Gaëlle, a former work rider who became a riding instructor after a serious accident, met Audrey, the idea of pairing Bella with Sarah, her daughter, then a young rider in all disciplines, naturally came to mind. And as if it were meant to be, the pony and the young rider bonded instantly. Following her mother’ s advice, Sarah learned how to handle the fiery Bella, finding her salvation especially in galloping, somewhat like a flat thoroughbred. Gradually, the duo became inseparable, and Sarah discovered the adrenaline rush that comes with speed. Meanwhile, Gaëlle and Audrey developed a deep friendship. So, in 2019, after trying endurance and show jumping, the decision was obvious: all the ingredients were there to launch the South- East adventure of Poneys au Galop.
The Racing Adventure The machine started running very quickly: Gaëlle as president, Audrey as vice-president, and Sarah on Bella’ s back. From their very first races, the duo made an impact, even if there were still a few“ misses” from time to time. But the partnership clicked. In July 2023, during the qualifying rounds for the French Championships at Le Lion-d’ Angers, they competed in cross-country and flat races, finishing 3 rd in the D2 flat section. Then in July 2024, at the Aixles-Bains racecourse, the duo claimed the title of Auvergne – Rhône – Alpes champions. And if, for their final run together, they had to settle for second place, beaten by the smallest margin, they still managed to secure another championship title, this time for the South-East. In total, they won 12 of the 15 races they took part in. Since then, Sarah has spread her wings: after the traditional passage through the AFASEC riding school races, she
171 # 15