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Francois Doumen: 'I enjoyed trying to do things that had never been done before'
The legendary trainer, 80, on great horses, narrow defeats and the Queen Mother
Francois Doumen at home in Chantilly in August 2017Credit: Patrick McCann
What are you most looking forward to at the moment?
I'm writing my memoirs at the moment. My 16-year-old granddaughter is helping me type it, though, as I'm too slow. When you stop doing a 24-hour job, like being a trainer, you wake up and you realise you need a reason to get up, to motivate you. This is one thing that has helped me.
How are you keeping yourself occupied since retiring from training in 2017?
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Published on inInterviews
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more inInterviews
- It's been a quarter of a century since we started - here's how we've seen the sport we love change
- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’