ENGLISH TEXTS
began riding in official races last September and has already secured two wins. But she never forgets what she owes to“ her” pony:“ She was so much more than just a pony to me … she was a true life partner, the one who changed everything. It’ s thanks to her that I’ m riding in races today. She taught me to have confidence in myself, to believe in my abilities and to push beyond my limits. With her, I discovered the unique sensation of speed and the freedom one finds only on horseback. Bella gave me a passion that has now become my profession- she will always be the pony of my life.” For her part, Bella continues to introduce young talents to racing, and to help them find the“ right buttons,” Sarah is never far away.
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PEDAGO
WHEN THOROUGHBREDS SETTLE INTO THEIR WINTER QUARTERS
BY CÉLINE GUALDE
The meetings at Cagnes-sur- Mer and Pau attract horses from all over France and even from abroad. They offer a condensed sporting programme and require impressive logistics, both for the organisers and for the competitors.
It is already dark this late afternoon when a huge articulated lorry pulls up in front of trainer Yannick Fouin’ s yard in Maisons-Laffitte. Two, four, six, eight, ten horses load one after another in a seemingly endless rotation. After the Thoroughbreds, it’ s the trunks, blankets, wheelbarrows and forks that are packed on board … When the imposing convoy finally sets off, it carries sixteen horses in its belly plus a groom travelling in a compartment fitted with heating and a bench seat. Two drivers with a“ super heavy” licence take turns to bring these precious passengers safely to their destination, 950 km further. Southbound! They will only reach Cagnes-sur-Mer the next morning between 8 and 9 a. m. Travelling by night helps avoid the uncertainties of traffic. Other similar vehicles head toward Pau. Routes are also organised in the West, with trucks hopping from one trainer to another until they are packed to the brim. Yannick Fouin has been a loyal participant at the Cagnes meeting since he settled there in 1999. The young trainer had few horses at the time and even less money.“ I couldn’ t afford to wait for Auteuil to reopen before running!” Today, the meeting— where he has topped the trainers’ standings about ten times— represents between a quarter and a fifth of his annual income. It is therefore essential to him.
Between Sprint and Marathon This year, the trainer from Maisons-Laffitte has sent thirty-five horses to the French Riviera along with about ten staff members. He recruits additional people on site when needed. All staff are housed at the employer’ s expense, either at the racecourse( which offers 150 beds) or in the surrounding area.“ Obviously, costs are higher than in Maisons-Laffitte, so the horses’ training fees are adjusted accordingly.” To offset these expenses, prize money at the meetings is increased by around 10 % compared with the regular provincial programme. Fouin’ s horses will run, if all goes well, three to five times during the meeting, which is a lot.“ You need seasoned horses who cope well with racing,” the trainer points out. Their ability to withstand effort and recover is essential.“ We usually try to spread out racing opportunities during the season so that a horse can run about once every three weeks,” explains Pierre Laperdrix, head of the calendar and programme department at France Galop.“ During the Cagnes meeting, on the contrary, everything is condensed to allow each horse to find several opportunities to run in a short period.” The same goes for Pau, where Anne-Sophie Pacault, also based in Maisons-Laffitte, travels with around ten horses.“ I’ ve had as many as thirty in the past, but it was too much! The idea is for them to run two or three times. Or I bring them to prepare for their return at Auteuil, where the season has been brought forward and starts just a few days after the meeting. In Maisons-Laffitte, the turf tracks are closed during winter; in Pau we can use those at the Sers training centre.” Jean Brouqueyre, director of the Pont-Long racecourse, explains that his teams are almost doubled to meet the demands of the meeting:“ We have twenty permanent staff and hire five additional people from early November, then ten more in December. In the end, there are fifteen full-time fixed-term contracts and nine
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