Few people breed even one five-star contender. Philippe Brivois of the Biats stud has already bred a five-star winner in Oslo, and in Valmy and Vendredi Biats, he has two runners at this week’s Badminton Horse Trials, presented by Mars Equestrian. The two horses were foaled on his Normandy farm 14 years ago.
“As they’re the same age, they were born and grew up together in the same field until they were five years old,” says Philippe proudly. “That is very special. And now here in the stable yard at Badminton, they are stabled next door to each other – that’s super!”
Philippe’s mares foal in the field, unless it’s stormy, which he believes produces stronger, hardier foals. On a drenching day when the rain was relentless, Vendredi Biats certainly showed off all his quality in a downpour to take second spot in the dressage under Kitty King, while Valmy was also unperturbed by the mud to slot into the top 25 for Emily King.
“It’s like Normandy – we get as much rain,” smiles Philippe.
Vendredi Biats (Kitty King) excels in the rain in the dressage at Badminton Horse Trials
Valmy is out of Aurelie Du Prieure, one of Philippe’s foundation mares and also the dam of Oslo, ridden by William Fox-Pitt.
“I found Aurelie in a swampy field, where her breeder had put her because she was lame,” he says. “She wasn’t pretty; she was common and dragged her feet, one of which was 10cm longer than the other. But something clicked. She was strong and determined. I bought her as she was, then Oslo came and his story is fantastic. Oslo, eventing, William Fox-Pitt – I was living the dream. It really was a stroke of luck.”
One good horse might be down to chance, but there have been too many top-class Biats horses for it to be a simple fluke – though Philippe insists that much of it is down to picking the right riders, and giving horses time.
“I hugely respect the work these riders have done with my horses,” he says. “Especially Kitty, because Vendredi Biats was not easy to start with. She kept telling me he was naughty! And the work Emily has done with Valmy is amazing. He arrived with her qualified for four-star, but she has improved his confidence, musculature, technique and so on. He was like fertile ground, but she has made him bloom.”
Bucolic adventure for Anglophile Philippe Brivois
Philippe may be poetic as he describes his horses’ paths to the top, but his Badminton sojourn is very down-to-earth. He eschews a comfy Cotswold hotel, preferring to sleep in his 20-year-old Citroen C5, in the thick of things.
“I don’t call it camping, there’s no tent – I sleep in my car on a mattress and I sleep very well,” he says. “Yesterday I went to the cocktail party and then back to my car. I had a very good night’s sleep and I was woken by the Duke of Beaufort’s hounds, it was very pleasant! Very bucolic. That’s why I love English events, what is better than waking up the sound of hounds?
“Then I go round to the stables to see my horses and give them pats. I absolutely love it. The English eventing community is so welcoming and I love to be involved in every way with so many connections.”
Back home at the Biats stud, Philippe has left his children – and grandchildren – in charge. There have already been three foals born this spring, with 10 more due. It looks like we’ll be seeing Biats contenders lighting up the British five-stars for many years to come.
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