I HAVE watched horses at tracks without so much as a twig for shelter. I have made a book where the ‘gallery’ numbered less than 30 people. I can clearly remember horsemen racing regularly for a miserly £70 first prize.

Imagine my delight when The Irish Field dispatched me to Vincennes, France last weekend to cover the famed Prix d’Amerique.

I was last in the celebrated ‘hippodrome’ in 2002 when the Italian horse Varenne won the race for the second time.

The recent trip was my first with the purpose of reporting the comings and goings to readers.

A total of 40,000 people attended the race, worth €900,000 in prize money. Quite a few of the trotters and pacers in Dublin, the north or Cork, were on the easy list at the weekend as numerous trainers and drivers were living the high life in Paris.

Ger Kane and son Sean were casting a knowledgeable eye over horses and equipment. It was encouraging to see many young Irish people at the event.

A taste of the fantastic atmosphere will only serve to encourage Calvin Broughan from north county Dublin.

Jamie Hurley from Cork was at the big race as was young Hannah Richardson whose chic outfits blended in well. Several of the Quill boys from Kenmare were in attendance along with near neighbour Luke Kelleher.

At the opposite end of the age spectrum, septuagenarians Maxie Collins and John Nixon visited France for the first time. Maxie said that the stadium was nicer than Leopardstown (!), while John Nixon was impressed with the standard of turnout of horses at the sales held on the Friday night.

TEMPLE OF TROT

Various trotting men walked around ‘the Temple of Trot’ awestruck, as their sport, so often misunderstood in Ireland, was the centre of attention.

American flags are distributed for free. (The race honours the American contribution to the First World War).

The fancied runners each have varying sizes of fan clubs. Just like at a football match, scarves in the colours of fans’ chosen horse and scarves and baseball hats are much in evidence.

The Bold Eagle fan club commandeered a six square-metre pitch, right on the finish line. It was not to be their day, however.

CEREMONY

The racing was preceded by an opening ceremony worthy of the Olympics. Every year this entertainment has a different theme.

This year featured a mock fight between some mounted cowboys and Indians, with some stunt riding. (The riders in Paris were not the first cowboys I have seen at a trotting meeting!)

Just before the big race, the Band of the Republican Guard perform classical airs while their mounted colleagues put on a quadrille.

It seems an unlikely association but Harley Davidson motorcycles are one of the main sponsors and their motorbikes were prominent in the preliminaries.

Majorettes dressed as jockeys and wearing stars and strips-like colours danced with pom-poms before and during the meeting.

An unscheduled sideshow this year took place when around 40 of the dreaded ‘gilets jaunes’ (yellow vests) tried to disrupt the big race.

A squad of burly security men soon scooped up the yellow vests, much to the delight of the crowd.

Both Jean Michel Bazire and Frank Nivard are blessed with rugged good looks. Their chiselled chins and healthy complexions, born out of early mornings on the jog trails, adorn poster after poster.

Bazire (47) has his yard at the Chateau de Grosbois but Vincennes is the ground where he shows his product. His face and name is everywhere, the fast-flowing phrase ‘Jean Michel Bazire’ is omnipresent on the PA system.

If they’re not playing replays they are interviewing him. If they’re not interviewing him, they are making predictions about him.

Scenes from the Prix d'Amerique day at Vincennes Photo Nadina Ironia

AMBASSADOR

In fairness, JMB seems to know the value of keeping the public satisfied. Le Trot have a good brand ambassador. The weekend felt a like party where everybody wanted a word with the host.

Groups of teenage men dropped all attempts at looking cool and grabbed Bazire for a selfie. The selfie has long since replaced the autograph!

Record books will show Jean Michel trained the winner, the second and the fourth in the showpiece event. JMB trained the winners of €700,000 in the feature race alone. Nice work if you can get it!

Our own Nadina Ironia was snapping away at the meeting and was in the thick of the crowd as Bellina Jossleyn made her way back to the winner’s circle.

JMB even got a pat on the back from Ireland’s leading harness racing photographer.

Sky Sports continue their coverage of French trotting. It was nice to see an English-speaking angle as the channel interviewed trainer Alexis Laidler of Durham and ‘Mister Musselburgh’, driver Ian Pimlott.

In a bold red number, Alexis was not going to let the French ladies steal a march in the fashion stakes.

The IHRA top brass were out in force. Mark Flanagan, James O’Sullivan and James Leavis represented the organisation at the 75th congress of the UET (European Trotting Union).

Dominique de Bellaigue (a great friend of Ireland) retires as President.

James Leavis of the IHRA reported that talks are going well and hinted that further prestigious meetings and associated events could be coming to Ireland.