The folks at France Galop in charge of recruiting foreign owners have finally figured out I exist, and to make up for lost time, they’ve declared me “trainer of the week” in their newsletter and online: http://www.frbc.net/
Mark, meanwhile, has been working tirelessly to get speaking/race days set up with the numerous expat groups around Paris, and we are making progress. We’re also off to the sales in Deauville next week. A big attraction for American owners, I think, is the chance to lease a horse rather than buy one. This gives all the benefits of ownership (name in the program, on-track access, prize money, win photos) without the responsibility of having to make arrangements for the horse if there are career-ending injuries or if the animal is just not good enough for the game. If a leased horse can’t race, it goes back to the lease-holder. I’m working on putting together a few horses to offer on this program, and they will be added to my web site when they become available.
As for the current group of trainees, we’re making what progress we can given the weather. The high winds arrived as scheduled, and luckily moved on as scheduled, too, so we were able to get some training done around noon. Skid’s gelding went off without a hitch (perhaps not the best choice of words). In any case, he seems not to know anything is missing, and we should be able to bring him back home from Normandy in three weeks or so. Turfani will start galloping on the all-weather track tomorrow, and Tommy will start to go a little quicker, too. In another month, we should be racing, and that thought keeps us moving through this crappy winter.
Congrads! A nice honor. Best of luck with the leasing program.
Outstanding.
How does the leasing arrangement work?
Leasing works like this: Let’s say a breeder is reluctant to send a horse to the sales because it either won’t sell or might sell for peanuts, or they have a filly they’d like to breed one day but would like to see race first. Or a trainer has too many horses eating on his own dime. The horse will be put up for lease, meaning an owner puts it in training, pays the training fees, is listed as the owner for racing purposes and gets the purse money minus a small cut for the lessor (between 5 and 10 percent). When the lease is up, or if it is determined the horse should or could no longer race, the horse reverts to the lessor. It’s a win-win situation; the racing owner doesn’t have to put up the capital to buy the horse, and if there is anything career-ending, the horse is taken back by the lessor. The lessor, meeanwhile, gets to see his horse race without spending a dime plus gets a small cut. Now you’re probably not going to find the next Arc winner this way, but there are plenty of useful handicap-level horses available.
Great idea. How many owners can partner on a lease? What is the duration of the typical lease – 6 months, 1 year? How are expenses such as vet bills and farrier bills handled? Thanks!
Up to five owners can partner, and all names get listed. A lease can last anywhere from six months to an open-ended “career” lease (which is a better deal, because if the horse turns out to be good, the lessee keeps racing; if the horse isn’t up to it, the lessee can decide not to continue). Vet and farrier depends on the trainer. My rates include routine vet bills and shoes. Major vet bills (for injuries) are handled by the owner. In a leasing situation, the lessee is responsible. But since anything career-ending is handed back to the lessor, the vet commitment is really pretty minimal.
Well done!!! only now they notice you being the only american female trianer… any way what’s going down at deauville? when are you going, im on hols now anyway so ill see you soon.
Only the French could make you Trainer of the Week after the event, without winning anything. It seems a bit like the Lottery. Did you get a prize.
Gotta love you Johny, whoever you are. Actually, I HAVE won a few things. Check it out the numbers. They’re not so bad.
No offence Gina, but “Trainer of the week” logically means for something you have achieved during that week. .
It will be interesting to see who wins next time, this award looks like it’s more difficult to pick than the average winner and something to cherish for life.