Olivier Peslier paid tribute to Freddy Head, whose 59-year career officially ended on December 31.
Although Head announced his decision not to renew his license in September, praise continues for one of the most successful equestrian coaching careers in European racing history.
The pair combine most famously with the 14th and 1st grade successes that Goldikova enjoyed but Peslier’s relationship with the now 75-year-old Head is rooted in his later riding days, during which time he won four Arcs, six French championships and teamed up with 2,937 winners.
Peslier recalls: “He won his last ride at Deauville and I finished second in that race. “He’s a racehorse who’s had an extraordinary career, winning the Arc at the age of 19 and we all admire and love him; for us, he’s always been ‘Monsieur’ ‘.
“Of course, a jockey would have a great advantage when it comes to riding for someone who already wears shoes. There’s a part of him that will always remain a jockey, even after he has become a jockey. coach. And I’ve enjoyed riding for many years.” Freddy because he’s more of an English coach than a Frenchman.
“Almost without exception, a French coach will ask you to sit in fourth or fifth, cover and ride to a good finish. With Freddy, it’s always ‘riding him along. how you feel’ and he trained his horses so they could ride any way you like and from the front if necessary.Lots of jockeys try to train but very few succeed at the level. the degree he has.”
Head made history by becoming the first man to win the Breeders’ Cup as a jockey and later as a coach; he was on the Miesque train to consecutive wins in the 1987 and 1988 Miles, before beating Goldikova to score a hat-trick in the same race from 2008 to 2010.
“He was riding and training some real skills but for him and for me, Goldikova was something completely different,” says Peslier. “For a jockey, a trainer or an owner, such a horse appears only once in a lifetime.”
Head’s final runner was Rational, who finished the spot in a Deauville teenager in late November in the shirt of longtime supporter George Strawbridge.
But he will remain closely involved in the sport, with his son Christopher and daughter Victoria now training under their own names off his field on Avenue Chantilly du General Leclerc.
Freddy Head at Les Aigles galloping at Chantilly
