December 30, 2014. Nathalie Henry took 2,569 days to find her way back to success in the temple of Trotting. During this period, the one who is nicknamed “Madam President” because of her success in the Prix du President de la République (Gr. I) with Paddy du Buisson and Migraine, gave birth to two children. Moreover, it is they who are at the origin of the comeback of the 42-year-old woman jockey. “They pushed me to resume competition,” she says. I had them on the phone after the race when they had just come home from school. They witnessed my victory via a smartphone. My daughter had her voice derailed, and there were a lot of emotions. “
The companion of Matthieu Abrivard did not hide her joy after this success acquired with Ibiza handle : “It’s a lot of pleasure and happiness to win at Vincennes. I struggled to get back to the highest level with three gym sessions per week. Me, who wanted to become a sports teacher, it suited me perfectly. »In the near future, there will also be this participation in the Prix de Cornulier (Gr. I) in the saddle on Bilooka de Boscail, with which she won in 2014 at Vincennes. “It’s just wonderful, especially since I won the Prix de Normandie in 2005 with her mother, Mirza du Vivier », Remembers the one who has always had popularity with turfists.
“I was keen to save my sister”
In addition to rediscovering the flavor of victory in the Paris region, Nathalie Henry drove the point home by winning with a horse trained by her brother, Yannick. “This is my first win for him,” she says with a big smile. It must be said that I did not have much opportunity to ride his residents (Editor’s note: only 16 times before this race out of nearly 3400 races contested). His older brother, overcome by emotion, could not answer immediately after the race at the microphone of Equidia. A few minutes later, he came to his senses and revealed his feelings: “I was keen to save my sister. It was a bit late as she rode some great races. I told myself we weren’t going to get there. “
Very proud, Yannick Henry does not intend to stop there and hopes for many other family successes. “We’re going to try to make a nice black and yellow photo now,” he says with a mischievous smile, referring to the spearhead of his team, Hastronaute. He worked on the mounted trot, and it is not impossible to see him in this specialty by the end of winter. »After a victory at Vincennes, could Nathalie Henry return to success in Groups I, nine years after her last coronation at this level in the Prix des Centaures with Vision Intense ? The future will tell, but “Madam President” is probably only beginning her new campaign.