Newsletter

“A precursor and a source of inspiration”, testifies Edouard de Rothschild, President of France Galop, after the death of Alec Head

Chantilly, Tuesday, September 30, 2014. The morning mist begins to lift in the Oise when a confident voice rises and declares: “It’s good, she’s going to win! This voice is that of Alec Head, legendary trainer who came to accompany his daughter, “Criquette”, during the last work of the champion Trêve. Winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe the previous year, the latter did not arrive in the best conditions to retain her title. And as so often, the patriarch was right. Five days later, his “last jewel” took off and doubled the lead in the most prestigious event in the world.

ParisLongchamp, October 6, 2013. Alec Head (centre) savors Trêve’s first success in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, in the company of his daughter, Christiane, and his jockey, Thierry Jarnet. SCOOPDYGA –

This episode could sum up in itself the unparalleled talent of the man who “was a precursor and a source of inspiration throughout his life”, according to Édouard de Rothschild, President of France Galop, moved when talking about the disappearance of “a friend”. After a brief career as a jockey, he left his mark on the racing world by becoming, at the age of 28, the youngest trainer to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He will win the prestigious Group I four times. Endowed with an eloquent track record (84 Group I), Alec Head will also make an impression through his children. His son, Freddy, will go down as one of the most legendary jockeys in history, through his prestigious victories and his rivalry with Yves Saint-Martin. As for her daughter, Criquette, she became the first female trainer to win the Arc in 1979 with Three Troikas, a filly bought by her father, wearing her mother’s coat and ridden by her brother! “He was a great horseman for whom transmission was very important,” continues Édouard de Rothschild. We will pay tribute to him through a prize that will bear his name and reflect his immense contribution to French racing. »

When Alec Head’s peers were content to train the horses entrusted by the owners, he was already one step ahead: “to last, you have to breed!” He will thus make the Haras du Quesnay, acquired by his father, one of the unavoidable factories for champions with the aforementioned Trêve as the head of the gondola. This stud and his red coat will have marked Thierry Jarnet. “I was proud to wear his colors for more than thirty-five years and to offer him his last two most prestigious victories in the Arc in 2013 and 2014, confides the former jockey. He was a fascinating character with a keen eye. I remember very well the anecdote preceding the last victory of Truce, because he was always present during important training. After a disappointing start, he watched her work and reassured everyone with a simple sentence. His tears during our first victory in 2013 will remain forever engraved. He had a beautiful life, full and fulfilled and deserves the tributes paid to him. »

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending