GLOBALISATION. A much used term in modern day language, it has been part of the vocabulary of Louis Romanet for about half a century. That is the length of time that he has been a player in the worlds of racing and breeding and today he is widely acknowledged as the father of these two great sectors on a global scene.

Prompted by his visit to Ireland earlier this year for the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Expo 2018, I met with him earlier this year on a visit to Qatar to catch up.

That’s the thing about the Frenchman; he is easier to meet on an international trip than it is to find time with him at home. He is top of the invitation list for any significant racing or breeding event worldwide.

Now, a few weeks after the relaunch of ParisLongchamp, a pivotal development in French racing and for many the future of the sport in France, and on the weekend of the first French classics of 2018, it is time to reflect with him and to look to the future.

Louis Romanet’s involvement with racing and breeding was in some ways ordained from birth and yet was somewhat the consequence of an event outside his control. The student riots of 1968 in Paris did not see Louis as one of the street combatants but rather it provided an opportunity for him to divert his attention from studying law to join ‘the family business’.

The Romanet name has been associated with the administration of racing and breeding for some three generations, a little like the involvement of the Weatherby name in Britain.

However, while the latter is a family-owned enterprise, the Romanets were essentially civil servants - in the very best meaning of that term - giving of their time and expertise for the general good of France.

Louis’ granduncle was the first to be involved and he was joined in the activity by Louis’ grandfather. Sadly the latter died after contracting pneumonia at the end of the war in 1945. There was a short break in the family involvement as Louis’ father Jean was working in the Ministry of Finance. Then in 1960 Jean joined forces with Marcel Boussac, having worked as consultant for the breeders of France.

VISIONARY

That was with the Société d’Encouragement, the forerunner of the present day France Galop. Monsieur Boussac is most remembered today for the deterioration of his breeding empire due to inbreeding, but he was also a visionary who felt that the international aspect of racing was not being recognised.

Together with Jean Romanet, Boussac booked the famous Maxims in Paris and personally invited and hosted the heads of 20 or more racing authorities around the world, along with leading journalists. This was on the eve of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the seeds of what is now the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) were sown.

The big four racing and breeding countries then were Ireland, France, Britain and the United States. Louis takes up the story. “My father proposed then to organise in Paris an international conference the day after the Arc. It started in 1967 with 12 countries, and now we have 50 member countries who attend. It was just a gathering to discuss the topics of the day, but there was no structure, no organisation.

“My father was looking for someone to help him at the Société d’Encouragement. It was an old fashioned company with a director general, secretary general but there were no directors of finance or marketing. The old company had a vertical system of working. He proposed to my brother to join him but he said no. Then he came to see me 50 years ago and asked me if I wanted to come.

“I told him I could try and see if I liked it. The student revolution was taking place and the university I was attending was closed for several months. I started working with my father and never went back to university. That was the start of my career 50 years ago.”

Jean Romanet was a superb mentor, as Louis explains. “My father was a fantastic teacher, totally internationally-minded from the start. It was not easy at the time as very few people had a vision of globalisation. However, Monsieur Boussac was so minded, the first non-aristocrat to become president of the Société, and that was a big change. He was leading owner in both France and England in 1950 and after the war was dominating European racing.”

Louis Romanet was a special guest at the ITBA Expo 2018 with Joe Osborne, Joe Foley, Jessica Harrington, Leo Powell, Elizabeth Headon and Eddie O’Leary.

Photo : carolinenorris.ie

It is ironic that the decline in the Boussac breeding fortunes was largely the result of his importation to France of stallions that had raced on medication in the USA, something that Louis to this day, and his father before him, fought hard to eliminate.

modernisation

The modernisation of the French racing authority and its structure is one of Louis’ finest career achievements.

He brought to the role a decade of learning under the direction of his father and it saw the merging of several flat racing, jump racing and trotting associations, based in Paris. Many were opposed to change but the establishment of France Galop in 1995 proved to be hugely significant for French racing.

“The charismatic Jean-Luc Lagardere became the first president of France Galop and I became the chief executive of the new structure. At the time it was very important because we were able to modernise and develop the PMU as well. We could increase prize money, develop premiums and we saw a period of sustained growth for the industry. We had 12 years of growth in betting, by 5% a year, and we put it back in prize money,” Louis said.

Incredibly, France once had some 350 racecourses, and today it has about 250. This is explained by the popularity of trotting in the country, and that sector contributes 50% of the betting turnover. Louis explains: “It is very important and it is half of the racing activity in France. Of the rest, two-thirds is flat racing and one-third jumping.

“A lot of the local racecourses stage all three, and the most popular meetings have a programme featuring all three. The trotters are popular with the punters because they race regularly, often once a week. The punters know them well and the form is very consistent.”

Louis can also look back on the establishment and development of the pattern system as a source of pride, though he is not without criticism for how it has expanded. “When I arrived in 1968, within a few months we started work on the pattern which started in 1970. At the same time I was involved in the introduction of the ratings system between the handicappers of France, Ireland and England, something concrete on which to base the pattern system.”

Bringing the United States, Japan and the rest of the world on board was an exercise in patience. No more so than in Japan as Louis recalls. “One of the goals that my father set me was to convince the Japanese to open their racing. That was tough and it took 20 years. Then one day they said they were ready. They wanted to raise the quality of the horse in Japan before opening up, and now all their graded races are open.”

QUALITY CONTROL

What about the criticism often levelled about too much ‘cheap’ blacktype being available? Louis is aware of this. “I think that is one of my main concerns. We have to be very strict with quality control and strict on the ratings. A problem is that the concept of blacktype in the United States is different. It is not based on ratings, it’s based on prize money.

“A major difference between racing and other sports federations is that in racing we are not imposing regulation. We are there to recommend best practice and try to have harmonisation around the world, but we do not organise competitions. Comparing the IFHA with the FEI, for example, they impose the rules because they are a sports federation; we are not.

“We are an industry, a worldwide industry with a federation. The IFHA was created in October 1993, soon after my father died, and I became the first president in 1994 and I am currently in my eighth term. That will finish in October, my 24 years completed. I hope I can do another term because there are a lot of things that have to be achieved, especially the medication issue.

“This is particularly so in the United States and we don’t have the power to impose it. The Jockey Club supports our view and is trying to obtain a law from the Senate in order to be able to impose it. There is a strong lobby from trainers and the manufacturers to continue to use steroids. For me it is important to guarantee a level playing field. It is vital but we still have some work to do.”

During his visit to Ireland, Louis spoke passionately about the need to invest in the Equine Centre and to have an international reference laboratory in this country. There are currently five reference labs worldwide and he hopes that this will double in the next three years. “We would like to have all the graded blacktype races tested by IFHA reference labs, but it means money and high quality technicians. In France we spend €10 million a year on testing.”

One of the major challenges ahead is to attract a new generation of racing fans, and this is something that was very much to the fore in the thinking behind the redevelopment of the old Longchamp racecourse, now ParisLongchamp. Louis sees this as the biggest challenge for racing.

Another immediate worry is that of Brexit, though Louis is confident that a solution will be found and that common sense will prevail

“We are facing a situation where nobody knows yet what is going to happen. My personal feeling is that we will address the issue in time. Presently we are still in a situation where both the Brexit task forces from the EU and Britain are taking positions.

“I was very happy when I went to the seminar in Ireland because I was listening to the vice-president of the European Parliament Mairead McGuinness, an important voice. When you see that she is Irish and the Agriculture Commissioner is Irish, we have many people on our side.

“Everybody is aware now of the situation and they know it can be a huge welfare issue if we do not address properly the way we move horses between our three countries. So I am confident we will find a solution in due course. We must never underrate the impact of treatment of animals.”

What is it that motivates Louis? “What drives me is the passion of the people I have around me. I am working every day, travelling all over the world. I am working full-time and in an honorary position. The passion I feel when I arrive in a country who are honoured to have me, asking for advice or for new ideas, is humbling.

“My passion is strong and wherever you travel you meet the highest ranking people. Two different situations stand out. In 1995, as chairman of IFHA, I was invited to have lunch at Windsor Castle during Royal Ascot. I was put sitting between the Queen and the Queen Mother. It is only racing that can do that.

“Another year I had the Lebanese Association asking for help. In two days there I met the president, prime minister, ministers for finance and agriculture, and the lord mayor. Only racing can make that possible.”

For his contribution to racing he has twice been honoured by the French government, accepting the Legion d’Honneur just as his father and grandfather had done. He is also particularly proud that his work is without political colour, one honour being given to him by the agriculture minister in a socialist government, and the other by a right-wing government.

Brian Kavanagh

In the course of his international work, Louis has a lot of dealings with Horse Racing Ireland chief executive Brian Kavanagh.

What is his opinion of Irish racing’s leading administrator? “I love Brian - for me he is a wise man. Sometimes I have too much passion and it’s difficult if things are not advancing quickly. Brian always comes along with a strong personality and takes the tension out of the situation.”

Aga Khan – The RIGHT MAN

Another man for whom Louis has the highest regard is the Aga Khan. He explained: “We have a long history there, my family and the Aga Khan. My father was one of the first people he came to consult when his father died. He asked the advice of my father and he always reminds me of that.

“When my father died he sent a personal letter reminding me that when he had to make a decision about whether to keep on his bloodstock and racing interests, he relied on the opinion of my father who told him that he had been left something unique and that he must keep that going. Thankfully he decided to carry on.

“He is fantastic. He is a person I worked very closely with when we renovated Chantilly and he was involved personally. He looks at every detail and is a fantastic person to work with. He is somebody who is very powerful, yet he is very respectful with people, with everybody. He is a unique person.”

No doubt the Aga Khan would say the same about Louis Romanet.