It has been a year of grief for his mother’s family, who last summer not only grieving their revered patriarch but the founder of many parallel horse dynasties. Within months of Alec Head’s death, their Haras du Quesnay was dismantled and, as a thinking young man, Fernando Laffon couldn’t help but sense the end of a cycle as she His brother is the retired Criquette Head-Maarek with his brother Freddy. But just like Freddy’s children Christopher and Victoria while continuing to train their own careers, Laffon is supporting the next spin of the wheel.
Although only 23 years old, he is already a household name on the blood supply lines on both sides of the ocean. He was born into the game, the son of coach Carlos Laffon-Parias and Criquette’s daughter, Patricia. And his start-up company, Fernando’s Horses, already has Real Madrid full-back Alvaro Odriozola among its clients. Furthermore, he recently followed a role model in his chosen profession, David Ingordo, rounding up American sales to complete his studies with a stint at Lane’s End. .
Except, of course, with such a background, Laffon understood very well that one’s upbringing with the Purebred was never “complete”. Though he will always stand out from the crowd, supported by those long limbs, Laffon is careful to give up any vested interest through pedigree or upbringing. In fact, if anything, that’s where he got his head start: understanding that the horses are always here to keep us humble.
“I really had no expectations at all,” he insisted. “Because I was taught not to have anything; that any good surprise is a good surprise. I am the last of my siblings, so I am always among the older ones. But in no way, shape or form, I am wiser than anyone else my age. I just try to stay quiet, observant and respectful of everyone I work with. And, if possible, I will cross the industry in a quality and mature way.”
That said, the industry in question is based purely on the principle that breeding and rearing will show up in performance – and sometimes that can apply to two legs, at least four legs. Laffon was 12 years old when his father rode Solemia (Ire) (Poliglote {GB}) to win the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, setting his maternal family’s extraordinary race record. Criquette won the next two runs with Treve (Fr) (Promoter {GB}); and previously won with Three Troikas (Fr) (Lyphard), one of four Arc winners rode by her brother. Freddy fits right in with the quartet led by their father, whose father William has in turn coached the two.
“I feel very fortunate to have grown up at the heart of the race: Chantilly,” admitted Laffon. “Growing up, I never really understood the importance of my great-grandfather’s name. His daughter became my mentor, but first and foremost she was my grandmother. But when I graduated from college and knew what part of the industry I wanted to get into, I started to realize how important he was, who he was, and the love for animals he had. And as the years go by, I’m sure I’ll find myself looking back at the things my dad said or did, the things I heard or saw as a kid falling into my own shoes. his experience. I’ll have to make a name for myself, that’s for sure. But those memories will always be there, in your mind, giving you the edge.”
Admittedly that kind of legacy can sometimes be a double-edged sword. In this business, you often find successors lost because they never learned other ways of doing things elsewhere. So it’s very exciting that Laffon has broadened his horizons, not only at the University of Reading/Henley Business School (plus a desk job in Geneva), but also taking a course in Research National Ireland student and learned corporate skills under the guidance of Tom Goff. He feels indebted to both; and now he’s in Kentucky.
“It’s definitely something you have to do: experience the different schools, understand the different ways horses are managed, land is managed,” says Laffon. “From the early mornings I knew the training routines, growing up, were very different here. And I really acknowledge the privileged situation I’m in here, with the Farish family, it’s an absolutely amazing organization.”
And the timing couldn’t have been better, allowing such a young man to have slap clauses in the neck not only with Treve but now with Flight route (faucet).
“Oh, everything that’s happened since I’ve been here has been a real blessing,” Laffon said excitedly. “Participating in such an important moment in the history of the ranch, in the career of any rider, is truly something special. Being able to witness his greatness and the path to come is exciting.”
With Alec Head’s example, it would be fitting if Laffon could build on this transatlantic platform to innovate the kind of gene transfer that has been deplorably neglected in recent times.
“Yes, my great-grandfather brought a lot of genealogy here and most importantly he brought them back to Europe as well,” he agrees. “When he was surrounded by horses like Riverman and Lyphard and Anabaa and Mr. Sidney, it’s all about bringing them to different markets, different methods of racing. And that’s the kind that was lost. People now want certainty, whereas before it was a gamble that either paid off or didn’t.
“But now that we’re seeing such an improvement in the way Americans view grass-court races, I think there’s definitely an opportunity to work on both continents at the same time; in fact, I intend to do so. And also to moderate the race, admitting that the horses here are completely different, they are bigger and speed out of the gate is very important. The nutrition program is completely different. However, I was shocked by the amount of European pedigree I found, both on the farm and where it was sold. So these horses can be super versatile and exposure to both is essential.”
But you definitely learn fast in Bluegrass. Laffon means trying to keep up with Ingordo, in a single Sale in September, with three full years on the European circuit. Again, it’s about staying humble—and keeping your eyes and ears open.
“I was brought up in a very traditional way,” Laffon notes. “I just want to be right with me, my clients and the people I work with. Because in the end it is a game of honesty and trust. My end goal has always been to crossbreed, which is what I did back in Europe, with mares in training and newly acquired mares.”
Commercial aspiration represented a valuable new dimension to Laffon, whose father and mother’s clientele were mostly breeders by ownership.
“It helped develop the way I see things,” he says. “You don’t look at the perfect horse, just at a certain stage of maturity, and ask yourself what you can improve on from them. And I think that comes down to understanding that each individual in your cage has different qualities. Discovering those things is what sets coaches like my father and grandmother apart from everyone else.
With that old-school background, it’s positive that Laffon should team up with another young man from a very different world. For Odriozola, too, it must be refreshing to meet someone who knows a lot about racing, and a lot about rugby, but very little about football. They met when Odriozola, attending the Arc, was invited (as a Spaniard) to visit his father’s yard.
“Alvaro definitely made an impression from the start,” says Laffon. “He was so eager for the game that we all love, are passionate about and knowledgeable about. He and I are just on the same wavelength, we’re friends before anything else, and we both happen to share a whole lot of unconditional love for this horse. Spain is a small country that loves racing, but any rider or racing fan must experience the Madrid La Zarzuela race track, architecturally it is one of the most beautiful. in Europe. The quality of the race will definitely increase. And that’s one of the good things that I admire about Alvaro, that he’s willing to dedicate himself to the industry he loves so much, in his country. He wanted to breed, so he bought some young to race: with Ramon Avial in San Sebastian, in Chantilly with his father, but also at Joseph O’Brien’s in Co. Kilkenny.
Since establishing that bond with Odriozola, several years ago, Laffon has also assisted her grandmother in mating and managing the sire, and built a number of partnerships between friends and guests. row.
“I want to have a very close relationship with anyone I work with,” he insists. “For me, it’s not about putting yourself out there and buying as many horses as you can, but building trust with the people you want to buy.”
Obviously we’re talking to a rather cosmopolitan young man here. Laffon went to school in England, his genes are French and Spanish, and he has pursued a career where his surname resonates internationally at the Hall of Fame level. However, he knew that he barely scratched the surface; that even in our narrow lives, there is a whole world out there waiting to be discovered.
“I think the world is both big and small,” he suggests. “I want to go to different places, explore different cultures. It is a short time in which we have to experience everything. And that’s what this industry gives us. One day you’re in Keeneland, the next day you’re at Magic Millions. That is a beautiful thing. We are so lucky to be able to do what we love. There are no words to describe it: the work takes up every day of the week, every hour of the day, but makes us proud to wake up and work hard.”
And perhaps it is that precocious insight – as with any connection, any inherited lore – that represents Laffon’s most precious family legacy.
“Yes, of course, having ‘in’ is a positive thing,” he accepts. “In terms of how I was able to see and understand animals, it was great to be raised with a ‘second nature’ perspective. But one of the things I love about this industry is that it’s really open to anyone who works hard. If you’re motivated, you can go anywhere: people will never ignore you. And that’s why I wanted to come here. In America, people are very open: starting a business, they are heard. Obviously my great-grandfather did a lot here, and his name is well respected. But I really wanted to make my own way, a fresh start.
“In animal husbandry, there is always progress. Change will always happen: not just in the way I do things, but also in the way people do it. So it’s about adapting. The farmer must be a seller, must understand how the market works and how the market can change. That’s why coming here, and being exposed to all of this, is really the best thing I can do.”
