Vilaformiu Endurance

Monday July 2 2007

I woke up... in Spain!!

More questions for, and answers from, Bernat Casals:

At first Bernat thought it was a good idea to breed, raise and train his own horses for endurance, but that's “too much work,” he says (though what they are doing now seems to me beyond too much work!). Now he buys horses, trains them, trains for other people (about 4 for W'rsan Stables in Abu Dhabi), and rides them. He keeps very detailed records of every training ride, how far, how the horse went, what saddle he wore. He in fact works with the man who makes the Zilda saddles, reporting the hours of use with saddles, offering suggestions for improvement, and testing those models out.

Bernat is very happy with his job of training and riding endurance horses , riding them in the mountains, riding them in competition. Riding clears his head; he can relax, going out in the mountains on a training ride, and his wife likes to do them too. Neus doesn't so much care for competing. Bernat doesn't want to train a big stable for any shaikhs, doesn't need more, doesn't need the politics involved; he's just happy in his little world. Which really isn't little: I saw their brochure later, offering boarding, training, riding lessons, horse trekking, summer riding camps, and if you just think about the time and effort involved in just keeping track of and taking care of 15 horses, not including any of these activities, you get a picture of how “small” their operation is!

He's very attuned to his horses – the horse he rode in Florac passed the vet checks but he just wasn't acting normal, wanting to quit in the middle of a loop, so he pulled him. The horse felt good the day after the ride, and looked good too, none the worse for wear, but Bernat was wracking his brain to come up with a cause for his behavior. Was it just not his day? Did he need a vacation? Bernat had planned to give him a vacation for a while after Florac – maybe he should have skipped Florac and given him the vacation sooner. He was beating himself up about it.

It was Bernat's first ride at Florac, and despite not finishing, he loved the ride. “It was beautiful,” he said. “People in this area live for this ride; they come out to cheer, and to help, tell you 'take care of your horse, it gets steep here,' they like having you come.”

Bernat likes the challenge of a 160 km mountain ride, where you must know your horse. It's not just a flat race, where it appears you don't have to have much horsemanship, but still, he says, there must be something you know, that a mountain rider wouldn't know, if you do the flat racing all the time. He asked the same question I do: is it better to take 24 hours to finish a 100-mile ride slow, or to ride harder and get it over with faster so the horse isn't out there so long? (Or, same question for a 12-hour 50 miler).

He was surprised when i mentioned all our multi-day rides. Two years ago he did do an 8-day ride, 60 kilometers a day, alternating with two horses. He said ride organization is difficult because riders ask and ask and ask for things: “Every rider should have to organize one ride, and they wouldn't ask so much anymore!”

Bernat tried other horse disciplines – went to French riding schools for years as a youngster – but when he found endurance, he loved it. He likes being outdoors, especially here in the mountains; he likes seeing new places from horseback, he likes feeling his horse, and nowhere better to do that but on long distance rides.

A Catalonia

(To Catalonia)

Sunday July 1 2007

Spanish endurance rider Bernat Casals picked me up from the Florac ride and hauled me home with his horse to Catalonia, Spain. Fortunately for me, he speaks good English (and is always soaking up new words) and was happy to talk on our 7+ hour journey, along the south coast of France, into Catalonia, in the very northeast of Spain, into the “pre-Pyrenees” foothills.

Catalonia has its own language, culture, and history. Bernat said there are still some who would prefer being an independent country... but he's far too busy to think about those things.

Bernat's family first raised rabbits, then goats, then they turned to horses, offering a riding stable for old and young people alike, teaching lessons. He started riding endurance about 9 years ago. He and his wife Neus have around 30 horses, about 15 of them endurance horses, the rest either boarders' horses or lesson horses, because they also run a summer riding camp for kids. About 6 kids at a time stay with them for 15 days at a time; more kids come to ride during the mornings or afternoons or both. In addition, the Casals offer horse trekking in the mountains for 4 or 5 days at a stretch, which people from the Netherlands especially enjoy.

Besides horses, we talked about ICE. Bernat wants ice in his drinks also! He thinks the Italians and French are crazy for not having ice readily available for drinks! He knew and endurance rider who went to a ride in France with a big Frigo – cooler – stocked only with ice, because he knew he wouldn't be able to get it in France anywhere near the ride. (So see, it's not just me who craves ice!)

We arrived at his family's place, stunningly beautiful Vilaformiu (old Catalonian language, “beautiful house”), perched on side of foothills of the mountains, horse pens and paddocks, stalls, and 2 stone houses (one a rebuilt old barn) terraced into the hillside. We got there around 6 PM, and Bernat's wife Neus was so happy to see me, she kissed my cheeks and welcomed me like I was the Queen of Catalonia. I would call Bernat and Neus the National Treasures of Catalonia – truly friendly, vivacious, gracious, welcoming, not to a mention a very hard working young couple.

Neus introduced me to some of their animals: dogs and ponies are named after good foods – so the children will remember them – Popcorn, Ice Cream Cone, etc. I think my horse Stormy would like this idea and would want his name to be changed to “Carrot.”

Bernat was very tired, from the ride at Florac and the long drive home, but he and Neus had to go visit some cousins, but not before Neus sat with me and asked me question after question, very interested in everything I had to say, giving me her full attention. She apologized for her English, which was very very good. Bernat and Neus introduced me to Bernat's family: his younger brother Uri, and Uri's girlfriend Anna, his dad Valentine and his mom (also) Neus. More absolutely lovely people; I joined them for dinner and we had a jolly, cacophonous meal, with Uri and Anna bombarding me with questions, and answering mine, and interpreting for Mom and Dad, though they understood some of what I said. I delighted them with my Spanish – a few of my whole 50 random words or so – and Mom delighted me with the meal she threw together (and worried about it not being enough).

Most memorable was the killer ajo – garlic, cloves of which we rubbed onto toasted fresh bread and covered with oil. Never have I had garlic like that – it was hot, like horseradish, made my eyes water when I put too much on, and I ate many pieces! Delicious! That should keep any cold away for about 3 months! And the cheese! Neus brought it out, with a type of yogurt, for the dessert. My lord it was spicy-hot like the garlic! It was delicious but so powerful I only had one slice.

I staggered up to my room after the delicious meal and wonderful company, and passed out.

Florac 160 km Ride 2007

Saturday June 30 2007

Out of bed I staggered at 3:30, threw clothes on, and walked down to the start of the Florac 160-km ride. Seventy-four horses and riders were out walking around, trotting, making last minute tack adjustments. It was pleasantly cool, in the 50's with a slight breeze, clear sky, full moon just setting. All horse collars were checked to make sure they were giving off an electronic reading; at least 1 needed replacing. Announcer Herve was still very enthusiastically speaking (in French). With four minutes to go, motorcycles revved up – you could hear them in stereo through the microphone framing Herve's deep voice. Horses circled around and around behind the line: “Du minute!” “Un minute!” The big crowd lined the start/finish line, trailing off into the dark out of the lights, pressed five and six deep right at the line.

“Cinq – Qattre – trois – du – un – they're off!” (or the equivalent), boomed Herve. Jean-Paul, organizer of Florac, in a car led the start out of camp, back up on the street to the main paved highway through Ispagnac. Out of the camp venue lights, it was a grand parade of warm excited equine bodies, bobbing headlamps, loud snorts, a few human yelps, clattering trotting shod hooves ringing on pavement of the town.

The trail took them past (closed) outdoor cafes, narrow streets of 3-story apartments, along the Mimente River to Florac, and beyond. As the horses left camp, the cars started up, and sleepy little Ispagnac looked like a professional car road race through one of those little towns, as crew people raced to the first vet check to await their riders. The last horse followed some 15 minutes behind, followed by a motorcycle escort.

I caught a ride around the course with Nicky Freud and Richard Allen, Brits living in France training endurance horses, and here at Florac to cover the ride as photojournalists. It was a 33.5 km loop for the horses and riders to the first vet check, where the sun was just coming up, and it was a chilly 44* with a stiff breeze blowing. All the horses were warm though – plenty of climbing for them already – and all the horse crews were putting water on the horses. The first hold was 30 minutes.

Next we raced – along with a thousand other cars, it seemed, on winding mountain roads to the highest point on the trail the horses would climb to – Mont Aigoual, at 1565 meters. It seemed we were on top of the world up here, with a 360* view around the planet from our perch. After the first 10 or so horses passed, we jumped in the car and raced along to the next vet check – along with a line of cars in front of and behind us, whipping around corners, winding up and down narrow one-lane roads, through medieval villages and spectacular scenery, with towering cliffs above the road, or a long drop to the valley floor far below. Looking out over the big mountains and valleys, it reminded me exactly of the Tevis Cup – beautiful, majestic – and TOUGH.

The second loop was 40.7 km, the vet check in the village of Camprieu. Announcer Herve was here, still keeping up the musical commentary for the spectators and the crews waiting for their horses to arrive.

After this stop we raced again to the busy village of, I think, Meyrueis, where the riders would ride right through the center of the village on their way to the next vet gate at La Citerne. We heard the riders wouldn't be coming through for an hour, so we sat down for a cappuchino at one of the sidewalk cafes. It was very refreshing... but I must say that was the TINIEST cappuchino I'd ever had!

The riders passed through, dodging traffic and tourists, and then we jumped in the car again and raced to the next vet gate. It was up on the Causses, a high rolling grassland plateau – a different world from the forested mountains the horses had just passed up out of. There were two vet gates here; after passing through the first time 23.9 km from the last, the riders did a 16.1 km loop back through this gate.

Then came not so much climbing, but a long loop of 34.5 km back to the venue at Ispagnac. Again, we joined a cue of cars, strung out along the winding roads as far as I could see in front of us and behind us, racing like bats out of hell, first to a long flat area where a little single engine plane was pulling gliders up into the air, then to a random junction in the 1-lane roads where the horse trail crossed the road. It was pleasantly and humorously crazy! Cars parked on both sides of the one-lane road, some parked leaning at a 45* angle to get off the road far enough, people everywhere, buckets set up, chairs, coolers, and along comes a tractor trying to squeeze through. When the horses came people ran alongside them, handing off water while the horses kept going.

Then we all got in and raced on back to Florac. We did stop briefly to look at a herd of Przewalski horses, descendants of the original species rediscovered in Mongolia in the 19th century.

We got back to Florac and the venue around 5:15 PM to wait for the horses to come in off their 5th loop, then go out on a final 12.1 km loop out of camp and back in for the finish.

It was warm, about 82*, with 48% humidity. A large number of people were hanging around, waiting in the crew area, or waiting under the big tent with the horses during their holds, or hanging out at the bar tent, drinking beer and French wine and waiting for the finishers.

At 6:30 PM here she came: local girl Cecile Demierre, galloping across the finish line, serenaded by big cheers from the big crowd and by announcer Herve. The winning horse, Shaman, was by Persik.

Some 7 minutes later 2nd and 3rd place finishers, Catherine Boisseron and Pierre Souchard raced in neck and neck , to roaring approval from the crowd – some of whom almost got run over! It was quite the exciting finish.

Finishers steadily came over the line, including the Swiss girls Anna and Nora Wagner, in 9th and 10th place, cheered by mom, whose enthusiasm brought many observers out of their chairs in the bar area to the finish line to cheer them over. South Africans Mariaan and Gillese crossed the finish line with their horses, and held their breaths while they vetted through – hooray, they finished! Last finisher came in around 9:45 PM, just before dark, escorted by motorcycles. Not so many people were still around, but of those who were, a big cheer erupted as the horse crossed the finish line, and consequently passed the vet check.

The South Africans said this was probably the hardest ride they've ever done – and now they have an 8-hour drive pack to Paris, where they hop on planes, long flights and layovers, then get home Monday, drive to a ride, and climb on horses Tuesday for a 3-day ride!

A nice late dinner was served for everybody; ride winner Cecile Demierre got a great big cheer as she carried her plate of food to her table, much to her embarrassment. 29 of 74 riders finished; it's a matter of good preparation, skill, and luck to complete such a ride. It was very enjoyable to get to see Florac – very similar to the Tevis Cup in America, from my point of view – the horses, scenery, trail, atmosphere. Congratulations to all the lucky (and skilled) ones!

Magnifique Florac

Thursday-Friday June 28-29 2007

In the heart of the Cevennes is the setting for one of the best-known, toughest rides in Europe: the 160 km Florac endurance ride. The base camp, or venue, for the ride used to be in the little village of Florac, but, as happens many places, the ride has gotten too big and the town too small to accommodate it. And so, the venue has been moved 10 km down the canyon to the smaller village of Ispagnac.

And a beautiful setting it is – big green open space in the middle of a valley surrounded by big green mountains, and set right beside the le Mimente River. It could have been in the middle of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado – I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful base camp. There were stables and a big area for electric-fenced horse pens to be set up, a very wide lane with a long gallop to the finish line, and several big tents for meals and a bar, and registration. Another big covered arena was set up for the horses to pass their vet check times in the shade, and another set up for the vets and the trotting out, with plenty of room for spectators anywhere.

There weren't any huge live-in horse trailers like are common in America. Most were 2 or 3-horse trailers, with the riders staying in convenient, inexpensive hotels, or camping in tents in the campground next door.

Every time I walked through the ride camp, I was amazed at all the good looking horses I saw. I mean, ALL of them looked strong, substantial. I guess you have to be for a tough mountain ride such as Florac. I saw one skinny one, but that's the only criticism I could come up with!

The Florac ride is steeped in history from the beginning. Whereas with the Tevis Cup in America, where the name Wendell Robie is synonymous with that race, here it is the name of a horse, Persik, which is famously known. We were, in fact, in Persik-land – and the riders would be wearing jerseys with their number and “Persik-land” on them – because Persik was the winner of the first two Florac rides in 1975 and 1976, and was one of the most influential endurance sires in the world. Many of his offspring won Florac and placed in the top ten. (We'll look at Persik later.)

As with any ride, there are great stories, such as one of the man back in the 70's who rode his horse 2 days to get to Florac, rested him 3 days, then won the Florac ride, then rode 2 days back home.

Riders continued arriving throughout Thursday, including Mariaan Liversage and Gillese De Villiers from South Africa, here to ride for the first time in Florac, on Stephan Chazel's horses. The evening's rider meeting was very enthusiastic (and all in French); after long talks by officials, every rider's name was called, enthusiastically as if they were coming down to participate in a game show: “Jean-Phillipe, Come on down!” The riders came on down to get their rider number vests to warm applause and cheers from officials and participants. While there must have been some nerves about the upcoming ride, the atmosphere was festive – like one big horse camping party.

The ride would begin at 4 AM on Saturday; at 3 PM on Friday the vet inspections began. The horses were all put into stalls, and the vets came around to each stall to examine the horses. Around 4 PM the horses all made their way to the trotting lanes, where, in numerical order, they were all trotted out for the vets. When they passed, and were cleared to start the ride, the horses were fitted with electronic collars, which they would wear throughout the ride – all the timing at the vet gates would be done electronically through these collars. A very sophisticated system which makes things much easier for officials and for riders!

Meanwhile, everything is going on around me in French, which we all know I don't understand at all. Alice is introducing me to so many people, and between trying to understand the pronunciation of their names, (I have to write them down), and remember who is who, what they look like, what they do, where they are from... my head was spinning. I think many people were amused at my lack of comprehension. And tomorrow when the riders are wearing helmets, I knew I wouldn't recognize any of them! All I could do was laugh at myself! One important thing I did learn to say was: “coke avec glasso” - a coke with ice!

There were a total of 74 entries, with participants from South Africa, a mother and 2 daughter team from Switzerland, Spain, and the Netherlands.

One can never get enough sleep at these big rides, and so, as per usual, I went to bed about midnight, and set my alarm for 3:30 AM for the start of the Florac ride.

4 Rides - 4 Continents - 1 Rider

Tuesday-Wednesday June 26-27 2007

In the evening I left with Stephane, driving out of Sanippooleedufwuah (Saint Hippo) to a big old hotel/restaurant surrounded by vineyards. There for dinner, outside in the fresh cool French countryside under a bright coming-full moon, we joined for dinner 3 Brits, who are here in the area to horse-shop at La Masselle.

Joining us were Chris Yeoman, a gung-ho British endurance rider (she's waiting to hear which one of her two horses will be picked for the British team for the World Championships in Portugal in August); her brother-in-law David Yeoman (he and his brother were previously polo players); and his partner Lesley (when I asked if she rides, she said, “Oh no, I crew for David”). David was looking to buy an endurance horse from Stephane.

Over a nice dinner, with French wine, scrumptious dessert and espresso, we talked horses; telling stories of endurance rides, unforgettable endurance horses, and memorable places to ride, like the UAE.

Stephane sometimes takes horses over there for the winter to train. His training methods over here are pretty darn successful I think, but, he says, “I go over there to learn. Not necessarily to copy them, because I don't agree with everything they do, but to watch and learn from them.” Every weekend in the UAE there's a ride – 1 week Abu Dhabi, the next week Dubai, back and forth. It gets boring because the course never varies – same flat groomed racetrack picked clean of stones by hand – but there is good prize money.

I ws curious about spooky Arabians in the desert in the UAE – do they spook there, when there's nothing but 160 km of flat sand? “Yes, at camels! And their shadows!”

All of us there believe in the “To Finish is to Win” motto of endurance riding. If the FEI wants to make endurance riding into a spectator sport, says Stephane, they're going about it all wrong. It shouldn't all be about speed, and Formula One finishes to end the rides early. In some rides this can have a place, but in others it IS about finishing the ride, and that is how the sport should be promoted. Maybe someone has dreamed about riding 100 miles in one day. (Chris wanted to, ever since she was little). That there is the story. Then, in keeping with this To Finish Is To Win idea, he had a great idea to promote the Four Rides on Four Continents concept. An award, or recognition for the rider who has completed the 100-mile Tevis Cup in America, the 160-km Quilty in Australia, the 160-km Florac in France, and the 160-km President's Cup in the UAE. He thinks there may be one rider from the UAE who has done this, but perhaps no other. THAT takes some kind of horseman to be able to complete the 3 hard mountain rides, and the UAE flat speed ride.

Next morning the Brits came out to La Masselle for David to try a few horses. One was Jasmin, the gelding the Raven and I rode yesterday. David echoed my comments, “his canter's terrific – it's like a big rocking chair!” Jasmin is a half brother to Chris's horse Farouk, who just won a 120 km ride last weekend in England. David really like the little gray mare he tried (“wow – she's like driving a Ferrari! Not that I've ever driven a Ferrari...”), and another gray gelding Stephane was planning to ride at Euston Park in England the weekend after Florac. David tried to tempt Chris into riding, but seeing as she has 17 endurance horses at home, this was a mini-vacation from riding for her. And, she didn't want to be tempted - “I don't need another horse!” Lesley took pictures of David on the horses, and waited to see which horse she'd be strapping at a ride next. : )

After a hack off into the countryside with 2 of the horses (Stephane accompanying him, while talking on the phone), David decided on the third gelding. He and Stephane shook hands on the deal over coffee on the patio. (By the way, Stephane is building a Bed and Breakfast just below, so horse visitors don't have to stay far away in a hotel.) David's eyes lit up like a kid with a great new Christmas present as they all discussed possible rides for his new horse.

I expect I will see them at some ride in the coming weeks...

RAVEN II RIDES FRANCE!

Tuesday June 26 2007

After another divine breakfast on the divine patio overlooking La Masselle, I grabbed my riding gear – chaps, helmet, and Raven-in-a-bag, and Stephane Chazel took me on a horse ride in France!

My horse was a gray gelding Jasmin, a 10-year-old Anglo Arabian who's finished his last 3 160 km rides, and his mount was Label, a gray mare he's riding in the 160 km in Florac this coming weekend. His mare was “just a baby,” 8 years old, and Florac would be her first 160. Stephane chose this tough ride for her because she's a big feisty in the rides, and this will show her she has to learn to slow down!

We rode off La Masselle and to the winery across the road. “So,” says Stephane, as he nods at the Raven smiling away in his bag attached to the saddle. “Tell me about your Penguin.” Penguin!?

Anyway, I quizzed Stephane as we headed up into the hills. He said there are two kinds of trainers – those who train hard and fast and often, and when someone buys their horses, they don't perform; and there's those who train enough to get fit, and when they're sold, they are ready to peak because they haven't been overridden.

Stephane's horses that are in training for, say, the qualifying rides (here in Europe a horse must complete one 40 km and one 60 km ride at 12-15 km/hr, then two 90 km and one 120 km rides at open speed with a 56 heart rate before they qualify), they may go out 3-4 times a week for a 2-3 hour ride, mostly walking (it's quite rocky around here). If they're going to a flat ride – i.e. a fast ride – they might do one 35 km canter at the beach where the footing is good. He used to take his horses onto a racetrack to condition, but he found it wasn't good for their minds, so he doesn't do that anymore.

Of the horses Stephane brings along in training, the mares are usually bred first, getting 1-2 foals out of them (as was done with Label); they are broken in at 5 or 6, then started in endurance. This way, if they turn out to be good after they are sold, Stephane and his breeder partners still have th bloodlines to keep on breeding. The geldings are usually broken in at 4 or 5, and they spend some time with a friend of Stephane's who runs a horse trekking business. It's good for the horses – they get ridden in the mountains, get used to working and riding around other horses; it's good for the friend's trekking business; and it's good for Stephane who doesn't have to feed them or pay people to ride them at home.

Stephane prefers doing 160 km rides, and the mountain rides – like Florac – are much better than the flat races – they're much more of a challenge for the rider. He did Tevis at age 16 in 1984 (“it took us 22 hours!”), and he'd like to ride it again now, exchanging a horse in the Tevis for one of his horses in the Florac 160 km. Anyone interested?

In general he prefers riding purebred Arabians rather than Anglo Arabs. “The Anglos don't always have as much up here,” he said, tapping his forehead. And the Arabian has better stamina.

And, what about electrolytes? I'd read an article that said the French don't electrolyte their horses during rides. Stephane said No – no electrolytes. What he believes in is first, good breeding, and second, good training. He feeds grass, barley, some alfalfa, a little grain, minimal vitamins, and no electrolytes. “Wild horses ate grass,” he said, “that's what the horse is meant to do.” He's had no problems with metabolics or stomach irritation since he stopped giving electrolytes. One year he took 4 horses to a ride in Jordan where it was 45*. The clients wanted to electrolyte the horses, but Stephane refused. They argued about it, but Stephane was adamant. “You pay me 50% now, and 50% after the horses complete the ride.” He took the horses there 5 weeks early, and only did a minimum of training, with only 1 day of a long fast training ride. People thought he was crazy, but all four horses finished the ride in the top ten.

Stephane loves this area here – it's good for training for the horses. There are plenty of hills (though it's quite rocky), the beach is 1 hour away, skiing is one hour away, town is close, and although it can get hot in the summer – 40*+ - winters are mild, you can ride forever, there aren't too many people (you can't build new houses here), plenty of land to turn horses out on, nice pastures, “And,” I added “wine across the street!”

Our 2 ½ hour ride took us up into the green, rocky hills, past vineyards, olive tree orchards, fields of green grass (“Grass is good this year”), old old farmhouses, and the ruins of a castle on a little hill. We looked at a few of his turned-out-growing-up horses, yearling to 4-year-olds, turned out with a 26-year-old retired babysitter endurance gelding. We had a little canter up a field, and Jasmin had this very controlled, huge rocking chair canter stride. Wow, I bet he's fun in an endurance ride!

Although I could have gone on forever, and it certainly looks like the trails do, we made a loop and rode back onto La Masselle. So now add France to the growing list of Raven-ridden countries!

La Masselle

Monday June 25 2007

I woke up... in France!

Caroline brought me coffee (merci!!) and breakfast out on the patio overlooking La Masselle, and I sat like a princess sipping and eating, surveying the farm of horses, stone houses and barns , and remains of old stone walls, beneath me.

Caroline is from Germany. She came from the show world, met Stephane in a show 9 years ago, and he got her into endurance. She's never done showing since. She doesn't care for that world anymore; endurance people are much more friendly and down to earth, and it can be such a family oriented sport.

Stephane joined me on the patio for breakfast. He's been riding since he was little; it was his mother that got this family's endurance sport going. They had horses when he was growing up, but it wasn't until his mother went to a ride in Florac in 1977 to watch, that she decided to convert to endurance. They sold all their horses, and bought 2 Arabian mares and an Arabian stallion.

Stephane's mother had a serious injury in 1980, and so Stephane took the endurance riding reins. The family bred horses for endurance and show, and they bought and sold horses. One of Stephane's first horses he bought and trained was one of his best: Oumzil Tobiha. In the same season, Oumzil was Reserve National Champion in show and winner and Best Condition in a 120 km endurance ride. Stephane sold him to the French National stud in 1993, and he is still a top sire.

Stephane's place now is bringing endurance horses along. He breeds a few of his own , though he's cut back on the breeding because it's too much work. He partners with several breeders, taking the horses and training them and developing them into good qualified prospects for sale. Rarely does he have 1 or 2 of his own top level competitors, because his clients buy them when or before they get to that stage.

In his paddocks Stephane has horses with many generations of pure endurance breeding. And he says when he rides them, he can often feel those different bloodlines in them – this family line has the same type of recoveries, or the same way of going – you can feel it on their backs and through the reins.

So, what is the secret to the success of the French in endurance? “It's two things,” says Stephane. “First, you have the breeding.” Two of the best stallions to come from France were Persik in the 1970's and 80's, and Siroco Sky. In 1974 the National Park of Cevennes set up a breeding scheme to produce pleasure and show horses, and Persik – a purebred Arabian born in Tersk in the Caucasus in 1969, was bought. He was a great endurance horse, and a superstar sire. He won the first major endurance ride created in France – the Florac 100 miles, which he won in 1975 and 1976. He was the world's best producer in 2000, the year before his death at age 32. His great lines carry on: roughly 50% of his offspring qualify on worldwide 120 km and over rides. Through 2004 he'd produced 2 World Champions, 2 Reserve World Champions, 1 Reserve European Champion, 1 ELDRIC Champion, and 8 National Champions... and the legacy continues through this day.

Siroco Sky (Crabbett and Polish breeding) did not compete in endurance, and while his offspring were strong, had good bones and good feet, they were maybe not so good in their metabolics. The second generation of Sirocco Sky, however, were very good.

Gosse d'Avril was another National Park of Cevennes stallion that contributed to the successful breeding program.

There's also the fact that for 100 years in France, the solid foundation under the endurance horse breeding is that they were flat racing horses – in other words, working horses, not the fragile spindly legged ornamental show horses you sometimes find. Breed a horse that can't work as an athlete to another like horse, and you're not going to get a good endurance horse out of it.

“The second secret of the French endurance success,” says Stephane, “is its big base of endurance riders.” There are some 4-5000 endurance riders in France, old to young. More young people are being brought into the sport, learning endurance, so as your base of riders grows and improves along with the breeding, the entire sport can only improve.