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“It is really simple; we want our horses to be the happiest,” Adeline Hecart, the daughter of Michel and Alexandrine Hecart, tells World of Showjumping about her family’s approach to breeding and producing young horses at Haras de La Roque in Normandy, France. “We think the horses get stronger by being outside, twisting and turning with their friends; this makes their bodies strong and keeps their minds fresh,” the 27-year-old says about their philosophy. 

With 264 La Roque-horses registered in the FEI database, the Hecart-family has bred a multitude of top horses, from Julien Epaillard’s former top horse Caracole de La Roque (Zandor Z x Kannan) to Pieter Devos’ Toupie de La Roque (Kannan x Nabab de Reve). “We have good horses, but I think what makes the difference is that my parents give a chance to all of them,” Adeline says. “My father tries really hard to make them the best they can be; he is a really hard worker, and he always sees the best in each horse. With all his work, we now start to have really good horses and great results. We have nice quality in our horses, but I think the work and the way we produce them help to make them better and bring out the best in them.” 

“First of all, we try to have a good mother, because we think that the mother is the most important,” Adeline begins to tell about her family’s philosophy when it comes to breeding. “And then, we try to take a father that can help to compensate. As an example, if the mother does not have so much power, we try to find a father that is very powerful. However, we prefer modern stallions; we like blood, carefulness – the French breeding is like this when it comes to quality. We use stallions that we believe fit to what we are looking for. I think we miss a little bit of scope in our breeding, but we don’t go to really big, heavy horses that can jump mountains – we like more modern types.”

We think that the mother is the most important

“The commercial side of breeding is a part of the business, but not my favourite part,” Adeline says when asked how she feels about the new reproductive methods as well as the rising number of embryo auctions. “I think there are fantastic mother lines, but I think the sport is what it is because there has been a constant evolution – and I think we should keep breeding with new stallions, and try not to use the same lines all the time. In the racing world, they believe that a mother cannot give hundreds of foals that are all the same quality, and I think there must be some truth in that. Of course, we cannot completely ignore the business-side of breeding, but I believe we should be careful not to over-use the same blood lines and instead keep using new, good stallions. However, I might be wrong…” 

We like blood, carefulness

“Some of our breeding mares my father had in the sport, while some have been bought,” she continues. “In the beginning my parents were breeding a lot, because they did not know how the horses will do. Now, we are reducing the numbers, because we only want to keep the very best for breeding. When you see how the top sport is today, you have no chance with a normal horse – so we really try to breed with only the very best and get around 15 foals every year. I enjoy the whole process, and I believe everything is important; seeing the mother, seeing the foals grow in the field… from some of the young ones you can tell how they are going to be because you believe they have something. However, what is also funny with horses is how sometimes you think you know but you never actually do – they can surprise you, and this is also the magic of it all; so much can change and you always have to think and try to be better, keep your mind open.” 

Giving their young horses time is essential for the Hecart-family, as is finding the best possible rider for each horse, Adeline points out. “We try to find the best way to produce each horse,” she says. “My boyfriend Victor Bettendorf rides most of our horses. Sometimes, when we have an exceptionally good horse that we think could fit him well, we also work with Julien Epaillard. We have worked with Julien for years, and we are never disappointed, there are no surprises; he is just a fantastic jockey and a friend.”

We try to find the best way to produce each horse

“It is really important to produce the horses well,” Adeline continues. “But in my opinion, it is better to do less, but do it very good, rather than have a normal rider produce the horses. We try our best to match our horses with the right rider, but it is not always easy, and it depends on what we want to do with the horses as well. With a rider like Julien, you have to bring him horses that are ready, because he does the top sport and I think he can ride everything.”

The Hecart-family believes that less is more when it comes to producing young horses. “We don’t do much with our young horses,” Adeline tells. “At the age of four, they normally don’t compete, maybe two to three rounds maximum, but it is really unusual. Then when they are five and six, and Victor has time, they go to young horse shows nearby our home. In the winter, there is a good indoor tour here in our area – Indoor Normandy – where the young horses can do a few rounds at two different venues. In the end, I think our young horses do around 12-15 rounds per year, and at the end of their seventh year, we take them all to a tour – like Vilamoura – and then they get ready there and won’t be late compared to others in their age group. However, our horses really don’t compete much when they are young. We prefer to do less when they are young and keep them fresh for the top sport – if they are able to jump at the top, which we hope they are.”

Our horses are really happy – and that is the most important thing for us

“When they are young – before they are ready for the top sport – they have to be athletic, fit and have good dressage work, and that takes a lot of time,” Adeline explains. “However, when they are ready, their mind is the most important aspect – and we try to give them the best life they can have, spending a lot of time outside. This is the way we do it and we are lucky because we have a lot of grass fields where they can all go out together. However, there are risks involved; sometimes we have horses that get hurt, but we still want to do it this way. I don’t know if this is the best system, but it works for us and our horses are really happy – and that is the most important thing for us.” 

At CHI Geneva last December, Adeline and her family could cheer on five La Roque-horses. However, Adeline believes that there is more to come. “All of our horses are doing good, which is already great, but I think the ones we have under our saddle will only get better – this is just a beginning. I think Simolo de La Roque (Spartacus TN x Casall) will be able to jump a big Grand Prix this year, I hope we can have a nice surprise with him.” 

When they trust the rider, they give their best

“The qualities I look for in a horse are heart, blood and carefulness – in one word, a fighter,” Adeline concludes. “For me, those are the most important qualities I like to see in a horse. You can have a horse with the biggest scope in the world, with the best technique, but if they don’t want to fight for you, you have no chance. Sometimes you have a horse that does not look so great, but gives their all to you. However, above all, the horses must make a good match with their riders, because when they trust the rider, they give their best. And at the top level, it is all about a partnership.”

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