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| Staff Writer |
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Sales company Arqana has pledged a portion of their annual sales ring revenue to support Au-Dela des Pistes, France's organisation for the aftercare and retraining of racehorses.
The company will donate 0.015 percent of proceeds from auctions conducted in Deauville and online, an amount that exceeded €31,000 in 2023. This initiative mirrors similar models in the United States and Australia.
Arqana already supports ADDP through the "Arc Promise" program, which encourages owners, trainers, jockeys, and breeders to voluntarily donate a portion of their winnings from the Arc weekend. Additionally, Arqana will contribute €1,000 for each of their graduates that win at Longchamp over those two days.
Olivier Delloye, president of Arqana, stated, "Arqana has been supporting Au-Dela des Pistes in various ways since the association's establishment due to our belief that a sales agency has a responsibility to help provide a good second life for horses after their racing careers."
"Au-dela des Pistes leads an efficient and virtuous effort in the field of thoroughbred retraining; we wanted to reinforce our support in order to enable the association to place even more horses with the certified centres, and it seems natural to us that we should index our financial contribution against the volume of bids received each year."
Delloye served as the director general at France Galop when the governing body of the sport established a partnership with ADDP in 2019. This collaboration gave the organisation the overarching responsibility to locate and certify retraining and aftercare centers across France, with an annual support amount of €125,000.
In the United States, both Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton implement a 0.05 percent levy on buyers and also contribute an additional 0.05 percent of the sales price themselves to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.
Au-Dela des Pistes maintains a noticeable presence at French racecourses and various equestrian events throughout the year. For instance, ADDP ambassador Cirrus des Aigles was showcased at Chantilly last Sunday during the Prix du Jockey Club card.
ADDP has ambitious plans to boost its earnings through a media campaign targeting every racing and breeding professional in the country.
"On behalf of the association I would like to thank Olivier Delloye and the Arqana committee for their permanent commitment to supporting a second life for our racehorses," said Haras de Montaigu's Aliette Forien, president of ADDP.
"Arqana is one of the major economic lungs of the industry and I think their actions send a strong signal to everyone involved in racing that they have a responsibility in terms of retraining.
"In terms of the mechanics, the fact that it is a voluntary contribution of even a tiny fraction of their huge turnover seems entirely virtuous. Several other countries have already put in place a large number of revenue streams from their industries to help finance retraining in a sustainable way.
"In a similar way, we will be launching a vast marketing campaign in conjunction with France Galop which will encourage all racing professionals to make a monthly donation to Au-dela des Pistes which will automatically be deducted from their winnings.
"We fundamentally believe that, in the words of American Jockey Club president Jim Gagliano, 'every person who comes into contact with a racehorse over the course of its career must contribute to providing for their aftercare.'
She added: "In this Olympic year, when the eyes of the sporting world are fixed on French sport, aftercare is, more than ever, a responsibility that falls to all of us, and public opinion will not forgive us if we do not collectively measure up to the task."