One Hundred Years of Urban Horses: A Westerner Loves Vietnamese Horses

Loving Vietnamese horses, two foreign men set up a farm and devoted their lives to Vietnamese horses.

"Come on, a little faster, spread your arms out. Don't be afraid, I'm here, be brave," Amaury shouted encouragingly. On horseback, 6-year-old Kai Fritzen slowly followed the instructions, his face gradually changing from worry to excitement. Outside, his father was still watching attentively, smiling... It was one of Fatty's daily horse riding lessons for children.

Realize the knight's dream

"Mr. Fat" is the affectionate nickname given by the staff to Amaury Le Blan, 59 years old, owner of the Saigon Pony Club. Born in a horse club in Lille (Northern France), growing up with stories about kings Louis, Napoleon, and European knights riding horses made Amaury love and be attached to horses from a young age. His horse breeding, training, and riding techniques are all excellent. However, when he grew up, due to studying and working abroad, Amaury had to temporarily leave horses.

Mr. Amaury instructs 6-year-old Kai Fritzen

Lam Yen

Amaury came to Vietnam in 1994 to seek business opportunities but his affinity with horses remained, so in 2003, Amaury became a horse breeder and instructor. He wandered around the horse farms in Duc Hoa - Long An or Trang Bang - Tay Ninh to learn about local horse breeds. In contrast to Vietnamese people who love European horses, Amaury devoted all his love to Vietnamese horses. "French horses have difficulty adapting to the hot and humid climate in Vietnam, they will get angry and act up at any time, not to mention the price is quite expensive. Meanwhile, local horses are used to the climate, are small, friendly, and very suitable for children," he explained. In 2007, Amaury spent billions of VND to establish the Saigon Pony Club - the first horse riding club in Vietnam. Orderliness, neatness and professionalism are what can be seen at this 20-horse farm (most of which are miniature horses originating from within the country). His childhood dream of becoming a horseman has now been passed on to the next generation. The club is open all week to teach horse riding to all ages, but the most crowded are still children (about 100 children, the youngest is 4 years old, and some have been studying here for... 10 years).

Little Knights

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On weekend mornings, the camp is quite crowded. The front yard is for the new group to start with basic exercises: sitting firmly, running with small, even steps. The inner yard is for the group to practice with advanced exercises: running fast, jumping far, overcoming obstacles... Professor Scott Fritzen, President of Fulbright University Vietnam, said: "My son, Kai Fritzen, 6 years old, has been studying here for 6 months. He likes to ride fast so he fell once, but it's okay, it's a small matter. Riding horses helps him become more confident, more disciplined and importantly, he gets to do outdoor activities instead of being glued to the TV or tablet". Amaury Le Blan confided: "Vietnam is my second home. Here I have everything: a Vietnamese wife, a beautiful daughter and a farm with a herd of beloved horses. I want to pass on my love of horses by teaching horse riding to children in Vietnam".

Descendants of British Royal Horses Gifted to Vietnam

Horses, like humans, must record their parents’ lineage, including the purchase of sperm for breeding and veterinary care. According to many veterans in the horse breeding world, in the early 1990s, the British royal family gave Vietnam 2 horses. Therefore, creating the next generations is considered a source of pride for those who own this precious horse breed. The F1 generation is Vang, Khuu raised at Phu Tho yard died but still had time to leave descendants. Some of them are Kim Bong, Huong Thanh (female horse), Duc Khuc (male white horse that the technology car company rented to ride on the street) and Dong Trieu stallion.

Sadness of the Hoof

On April 1, 2023, Jean Yves Baudron (78 years old) posted his last horse for sale on a racehorse forum. The horse he sold was Dong Trieu, famous throughout the Eastern region for its beautiful appearance and undefeated record at Dai Nam racetrack. The selling price for Dong Trieu was 160 million VND.

Mr. Baudron (before retirement) and his beloved horse

Lam Yen

Jean Yves Baudron's father was a Frenchman who fought in the Vietnam war, and his mother was a Saigonese woman. His father was passionate about horses, so he was often taken to watch horse races since he was a child. Returning to France, he got married, had children, and lived a fairly peaceful life repairing and selling cars. However, his Vietnamese blood and passion for racing horses were still strong in him. In 1992, Jean Yves Baudron decided to leave his wife and children in France and go to Vietnam alone to raise horses. As time passed, he also built up a famous herd of racing horses, including Nu Long Phi (worth more than 70 taels of gold). In 2011, Phu Tho racetrack closed, unable to bear to see racing horses being slaughtered, he pooled his savings and asked for more money from his wife and children in France to buy them to raise. The herd of 9 horses are all famous horses of the racetrack such as Nobel, Ericson, Huy Cuong... He also gathered passionate horse owners to establish the "Horse Racing Sports Association", borrowing land to make a field racetrack to train the horses to reduce their restlessness. Many times, Jean Yves Baudron did not hide his feelings on his personal page: "Why do horse races in Europe and America generate billions of dollars in profits each year, while horse races in Vietnam, which are equally attractive, have not returned yet?".

Mr. Amaury instructs a horseman on an obstacle course.

Lam Yen

But then there was no playground for racing horses, and several years of the Covid-19 pandemic, the dream of Vietnamese horses had to be put on hold. After 20 years of raising horses, spending billions of dong that he had saved during his youth, he had to give up when he sold Dong Trieu. "I bought it back from Dai Nam for 200 million dong. Now I'm old, my health is not like before, I'm very tired so I have to give up. I'm selling Dong Trieu to everyone to raise, waiting for the day to start riding or to breed for the next generation," he wrote. Ms. Nguyen Thi Duyen Trang, assistant of Saigon Pony Club, regretted: "Uncle Baudron no longer raises horses, which is a pity for the horse raising movement in Saigon. People with passion like him are rare now, even rarer." Mr. Huynh Van Lao (Sau Lao, owner of the largest horse stable in the South) confided: "I have known Jean Yves Baudron for a long time. He is good at his job and has a special love for racehorses. We all hope that a new racetrack will be built, but perhaps he has waited too long. I don't know if I will give up the horse profession like him"... In the past, Baudron once confided to Thanh Nien : "Racehorses are born to gallop proudly", and he spent almost his entire life nurturing that. Yet in the last days of his life, the dream of galloping of the Western horse-loving Vietnamese Baudron was left unfulfilled...

The French played horse racing in Saigon in the past.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, horse racing was a form of entertainment for French officers. They built a small racetrack in Saigon and paved roads for horse racing in Go Cong and My Tho. "In 1906, Jean Duclos transported large horses, of Arabian breed, from Hanoi to race at the Saigon Racetrack, causing many losers to go bankrupt. In 1912, de Monpezat also did the same and the Hanoi horse owners cleaned the pockets of those in the South", according to Saigon in the past (Vuong Hong Sen). In 1932, the French built the Phu Tho racetrack according to the international standards of the time.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tram-nam-vo-ngua-thi-thanh-ong-tay-me-ngua-viet-185240612161543797.htm