TDN Q&A: With Aliette Forien

In less than two weeks, Au Dela Des Pistes, the French effort to provide a link between the racing world and other equestrian disciplines to provide second careers for racehorses, will have its first major promotional day.

Saturday, Aug. 27 at Deauville will feature La Reconversion des Chevaux de Courses (the conversion of the racehorse day), showcasing former racehorses who have succeeded in second careers.

Rehoming racehorses is an issue for every racing jurisdiction in the world, and the President of Au Dela Des Pistes, Aliette Forien, took some time out at the Arqana sale to sit down with Sue Finley to talk about the specific focus of Au Dela Des Pistes in France.

TDN: What should we expect to see Aug. 27 at Deauville?

AF: Aug. 27 is a big day of racing and it will be a great opportunity to promote what we have been doing. The G1 Prix du Cadran winner Kasbah Bliss will be there; he was a champion on the track, and he has just started his dressage career and won his first two competitions in dressage. We will show some polo horses, have a small polo presentation, we will show eventing horses, and explain that Thoroughbreds can do everything.

TDN: There are a lot of organizations that attack different aspects of the retirement puzzle. What is the specific goal of Au Dela Des Pistes?

AF: The goal of Au Dela Des Pistes is not really to provide a lifetime home for horses. It's to give them a new life and a good life in a different sport. We are a new association, sponsored by the Aga Khan, Godolphin, Arqana and now a few days ago, Al Shaqab said they would support us, so a big thanks to them.

We want to be the bridge between racing and other sports. Polo, riding for pleasure, show jumping, horse ball. People in the back of their mind think Thoroughbreds are only suitable to go fast on the track and that they can be a little crazy. We want to explain that Thoroughbreds can do everything if they are well educated.

TDN: How will you go about that?

AF: Ultimately, we will try to organize some competitions, but first, we need to make a listing of all of the schools who can help us to develop horses to be ready for a second career. I was a show jumper. I love horse racing and show jumping and when they asked me to be the president, I said that I could help to be the link between racing and show jumping.

We will work with all the associations which could use horses in a second career, so that racehorses can find the structure to evolve afterward. There are other organizations to help horses who are injured, or who need permanent retirement, but for us, we want to offer a second active life for horses.

TDN: What would be a perfect scenario? A trainer realizes a horse is at the end of his racing career, and calls you?

AF: Exactly. Some owners are organized and they have their horse at the farm or they have friends who will take the horse, but some are lost. They have a horse, he's finished racing, and they don't know what to do. We need to help those people to place their horse in a good situation.

TDN: What percentage of retiring racehorses are able to go on to second careers?

AF: I believe there are more than 50% of horses who can continue. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time. We are going to present some polo horses on the 27th. I spoke with a man who is involved in that sport and he buys Thoroughbreds and he educates them to be polo horses. We saw horses he bought only last October and already they are incredible at polo. So it doesn't take too long.

TDN: What has the response been so far?

AF: People are already telling us that what we are doing is wonderful, and we already have riding clubs who are interested in working with us and I think the organization will help everyone to regroup a little bit and to say, we want these horses. The demand is there. We just need the link to those people. And I think in six months, we will have made some real progress.