Episode 28: Allez les Bleus

Episode 28: Allez les Bleus

From Bred For It by Jess Stafford

February 17, 2026 · 46 min · Episode 31

About this episode

Jess Stafford interviews Céline Gualde about the success of French-bred horses in racing and the factors contributing to their dominance.

It's Episode 28! With the countdown onto the Cheltenham Festival, the French-breds are set to dominate once again. So what’s the secret? In this episode, Jess Stafford speaks to Céline Gualde who runs Cap Orne Stud in Normandy and sits at the heart of French breeding as Secretary of the French TBA on the committee of France Galop and President of the National de l'Obstacle Show. From AQPS to “bred to race” thinking, this is a deep dive into why French-breds keep delivering on racing’s biggest stage as Jess and Celine unpack the structure, culture and stallion philosophy behind France’s National Hunt success. Plus, find out what Celine really thinks about the British & Irish purchasing powers landing the very best French NH stock!

People in this episode

Host: Jess Stafford

Guest: Céline Gualde

Topics covered

  • French breeding
  • National Hunt
  • racing
  • stallion philosophy
  • AQPS
  • purchasing powers

Keywords

  • French-breds
  • racing success
  • breeding culture
  • stallion philosophy
  • Cheltenham Festival
  • AQPS
  • National Hunt

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cap Orne Stud, French TBA, France Galop, National de l'Obstacle Show

Places: Normandy

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