International star rider feels right at home in Britain

Gerald Mosse is unmistakably French and yet in racing terms he is a citizen of the world. He was in the vanguard of the new breed of international rider and now, after more than three decades of winning top races around the globe, he has landed in Britain for an extended stay. Ask him where he calls home and the answer is unhesitating: Newmarket. Wherever he lays his saddle, that’s his home.

“It’s one of the best places on the planet to see top-class horses, the best horsemanship, and I always had in mind that I wanted to come here,” he says. “Of course it’s good fun coming to ride the big races, but to feel the real atmosphere and the industry and the way people train, you have to spend time and be based here.”

Having the chance to ride in Britain was the missing piece in his stellar career, he feels, and at 51 he has not been disappointed by the reality. “I love it here. People are very respectful, people love horseracing like I do. Even people in the street know the track, the draw, it’s quite amazing. Sometimes,” he laughs, “they know even more than me.”