A new mission for Criquette Head
/Article by Katherine Ford
Five years after retiring as a trainer, the handler most famous for the Arc double of Trêve wintered in the Bahamas where she devoted herself to caring for her mother Ghislaine during her final months. A figure in French and international racing and bloodstock alongside her late husband Alec, Ghislaine Head was influential in the running of the Haras du Quesnay. Her colours were carried notably by Arc heroine Three Troikas and homebred Prix du Jockey-Club winner Bering; and she passed away peacefully at age 95 in early June.
Horses were far away in the flesh during this time in the Bahamas but still close to Criquette’s heart and very present in her mind. “When would be a convenient time for a chat?” I texted Criquette Head to arrange this interview. The reply pings back, “You can call me at 11.30am French time; I get up at 5am (EST) here every day for my first lot.”
So it is 5.30am in the Bahamas, and Criquette is in fine form as ever with plenty of ideas to discuss. “I’m always wide awake at this time. I can’t get it out of my system. Of course there are no horses here, just water and boats.” When Criquette retired, she announced a plan to sail across the Atlantic in her yacht, named Trêve. However, in typical altruistic style of the former president of the European Trainers Federation, the adventure has been on hold. “My boat is here, but I haven’t done the crossing yet. I will do it one day, but for the moment, my priority is taking care of my mother. I will stay at her side as long as she needs me.”
While she had no physical contact with horses in the Bahamas, and no imminent trans-Altantic sail to prepare for, Criquette has been devoting time and energy recently to the association CIFCH (Conseil Indépendant pour la Filière des Courses Hippiques, or Independent Council for the Racing Industry), which she created with long-time friend and associate Martine Della Rocca Fasquelle some three years ago and now presides.
Senator Anne-Catherine Loisier & Martine Della Rocca Fasquelle.
“The idea came about because I found that our politicians didn’t understand the racing world. I said to myself that as I have some spare time, I would create a little association, and I would try to ask our politicians, those who vote for our laws in the National Assembly or the Senate, to understand what racing means. We are completely separate from any official organisation, and we don’t interfere with France Galop or Le Trot (French harness racing authority). I just want to show the decision makers what racing is all about. I have met a lot of people and invited them to the races. That’s all… I try to make them realise the importance of the racing industry, and the reactions have been very positive.”
An eclectic membership
The CIFCH counts 140 parliamentarians among its membership and supporters, which is a varied panel composed of racing and non-racing people, from a wide professional spectrum.
As Martine Della Rocca Fasquelle explains, “Our aim is to share ideas and knowledge, and everyone contributes what they can, depending upon their area of expertise.” Criquette adds, “We wanted to surround ourselves with competent people who are all volunteers. They all like horses, not necessarily racehorses but the horse in general, and the association works in favour of the entire equine sector. The VAT issue is an important one for the CIFCH. If we manage to reduce the rate for equine activity to 10%, the entire horse industry will reap the benefit.”
A key supporter is Senator Anne-Catherine Loisier, vice-president of the CIFCH and who notably assisted in opening the doors of the National Assembly for a meeting with French mayors. Criquette continues, “A year ago, we wrote to all the mayors in France with a racecourse in their municipality with a questionnaire, and most of them very kindly replied to us. However, it’s a shame that the mayors with some of our most important racecourses didn’t respond. We asked them about the economic importance of the racecourses for their municipality; and then we organised a meeting at the National Assembly, which was very productive.” Martine Della Rocca Fasquelle adds, “This was the first time that mayors have been heard singing the praises of racing. We were surprised as we received reactions from very high up, including Emmanuel Macron, who congratulated us for the results of the racing industry.”
Spreading the word
Senators Sonia de la Prôvoté and Valérie Letard and spouses with Criquette Head, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 2021.
The CIFCH compiled the responses from 27 mayors, representing communes ranging from Chantilly and Cagnes-Sur-Mer, several municipalities in the West of France (which is a hive of activity for both trotting and gallop racing, training and breeding), to the homes of tracks organising just one or two meetings per year, into an album “Une Ville, Un Hippodrome: les maires ont la parole.” (towns and racecourses, in the words of their mayors). The brochure, which has been distributed to members and interested parties, is an advocacy of the benefits of racing to local communities.
Naturally, Isabelle Wojtoviez, mayoress of Chantilly, underlines the significance of the racecourse and training centre for the town, “It is impossible to imagine Chantilly without horses. The animal is at the centre of our economy, a pillar of our history and a vital tourist attraction...”
Bertrand de Guébriant, mayor of 5,000-inhabitant Craon in the West of France, where the racecourse hosts 10 meetings for a mixture of jumps, flat and trotting action, says, “Craon is one of the most popular provincial tracks in France, and we welcome 25,000 people for our ‘Trois Glorieuses’ festival each year, making it a major tourist attraction. The notoriety of our racing means that the town has a riding centre and a nearby training centre for employment with horses, whose most famous graduate is certainly (leading jump jockey) Clément Lefebvre. During racing periods, Craon enjoys visibility in the media, and finally, the community receives a share of pari-mutuel turnover, which is a real plus for our budget.”
With 80 meetings per year in the three disciplines, the racecourse at Cagnes-sur-Mer plays an important role in the town’s economy. And with its Côte d’Azur coastline, charming old town and proximity to Nice, it already has plenty of advantages.
Mayor Louis Nègre explains, “The image of Cagnes-sur-Mer is intimately linked to the racecourse, especially on an international level. The opportunity for visitors to enjoy racing in a spectacular environment overlooking the Mediterranean represents a unique experience, which contributes to tourists returning to the town. The economic activity connected to the racecourse and training centre is important year-round, while hotels, restaurants and the property markets benefit notably from racing during otherwise quiet periods of the season (during the winter flat and jumps meetings).”
Senator Anne-Catherine Loisier, vice-president of the CIFCH with Criquette Head and Deputy Géraldine Bannier, vice-president of the CIFCH.
The virtuous pari-mutuel model
For Criquette and her fellow CIFCH members and supporters, it is vital to spread positive messages such as these in order to preserve the favourable French system. “Racing has a colossal impact on the economic and environmental state of our country, and this is thanks to our PMU system which must be protected at all costs; however, I get the impression that it is being destroyed. When I see that (online betting operator) Ze Turf has been bought by (lottery and sports betting operator) La Française des Jeux, I fear that racing punters may be tempted away to bet on poker or other markets. We need the PMU and its financial input, which represents our livelihood and that of our regions, our studs and stables. My aim is to valorise and protect this ecosystem which is an example across Europe. France has by far the highest prize money in Europe, and that needs to be preserved. Our system also brings money in for the state; it’s a win-win system. Indeed during the Covid pandemic, the PMU registered good results because the football and all other activity was stopped. We were lucky that the state understood the need for racing and breeding activity to continue. This is a good demonstration of the importance for government to understand the depth of the racing activity and that it is not just a sport like football, for example.”
Racing across Europe and further afield is faced with issues of perception, either from the general public or government representatives. “An association like the CIFCH would have a role to play in other countries,” says Criquette, “but things are more complicated in nations with bookmakers. If you look at the rising powers in world racing nowadays, such as Hong Kong and Japan, they have adopted the pari-mutuel model. I think that the World Pool is a very good concept, which can contribute to promoting the tote system and help racing to raise its level on a global scale.”
“The CIFCH doesn’t get involved in specific debates such as the whip. Personally, I am in favour of limiting the number of strokes, but we must be careful not to overreact. Those who are against racing are people who have never been close to a horse at the races or in training; and one of the missions of the CIFCH is to demonstrate that horse welfare is at the centre of our profession. We are pleased to show newcomers behind the scenes and the quality of care which racehorses receive.”
Opening doors for future owners
After a series of visits, debates and conferences with decision-makers, the CIFCH is set to widen its contacts further in 2023, when a major focus for the committee will be a two-day event in June in Normandy, aimed at business people and potential owners.
Criquette explains, “We will invite entrepreneurs and business people who have nothing to do with racing to come and spend time at a stud farm and training centre in Normandy. Like a lot of people today, all they know about horses is that they have four legs, a head and a tail… Throughout my career I always welcomed people into my stable to discover the horses, and the reactions were invariably positive. Many of these [people] went on to become owners, not necessarily with me; and I was always pleased to see them develop their interest. I was brought up to be very open and welcoming, and now [that] I have free time, I want to continue to help people find out more about racing.”
Always renowned for her generosity with time and explanations, Criquette inherited these and many other qualities from her late father, the great breeder and trainer Alec Head who passed away last summer at age 97.
Criquette and fellow CIFCH members at a meeting in Chantilly, 2021.
“He has left us with a fantastic legacy, and I owe him my success. He always loved his profession and defended the racing industry; and along with Roland de Chambure, he was a precursor in opening up the market with the USA. One thing which struck me when I was younger was that he used to say, ‘You should always try to read your horse. Once you have understood your horse, then the horse will tell you what they are capable of’. I used to say the same thing to all the young assistants who came to work with me and who are now trainers. I told them to pick just one horse and ignore the 80 others; study that one horse, and then tell me what they observed as the horse developed. For me, that is the basis of training. Like people, no two horses are the same, and so you cannot follow the same recipe with them all. You can lose horses by rushing them, and during my era, we were fortunate to have plenty of time. Last year, once again, the examples of Flightline and Baaeed proved that it can be beneficial to wait.”
The family dynasty continues
Criquette’s brother Freddy Head called time on his illustrious training career last year, and the family name is now represented in the profession by his son, Classic-winning Christopher and daughter Victoria. “Papa would have been very proud to see Victoria win her first race recently, and Christopher’s success. Christopher spent time working alongside his father, and two years with me, and Victoria worked for much better trainers than me! She was with Gai Waterhouse, Aidan O’Brien and André Fabre, as well as with her father. We have (French racing channel) Equidia in the Bahamas, so I’m often in front of my TV at 6am here! I keep an eye on everyone, not just my family…”
In addition to owning horses or shares with a range of trainers in France and former assistant David Menuisier in the UK, Criquette also maintains her interest in breeding, despite the heart-wrenching sale of the family’s celebrated Haras du Quesnay last year.
“There were a lot of us—five including my mother—and we didn’t all have the same ideas, so it was a family decision to sell. I love breeding, so I will continue with five broodmares. My grandson Fernando (Laffon-Parias) wants to be an agent and is interested in breeding, so this year I planned all the matings with him. I did consider buying a farm myself, but finally my mares will stay at the Quesnay as the new owners are taking in boarders and have kept on all the old staff under manager Vincent Rimaud. So, I decided to stay, and I will enjoy returning to the stud. It will be a very different feeling for me to visit, with no pressure or concerns about managerial issues. I will just be able to go and admire my mares and foals!”
As ever, with Criquette, the love of horses shines through in her words. “We talk endlessly about the people involved with the horses, which is logical in a way, but in the end, everything depends upon the animal. At all levels, whether in breeding, training or racing, the horse always has the last word.” If Criquette has her way, this would also be true for politics!