How the Levesque family won eight American prizes

Thomas Levesque will participate in his first Prix d’Amérique on January 25 with his mare Iroise de la Noë. His father and his great-grandfather marked the history of the race but “no, it’s not natural to race America, it’s above all a lot of work and you have to be lucky enough to come across a good horse.”

A prestigious name can sometimes be heavy to bear. In the Levesque family, it is rather a guarantee of humility. Strong character is passed on as an inheritance, like a taste for work and self-sacrifice.

This Monday, January 20, it is still dark. A thick fog envelops the stable located in Beuzeville-la-Bastille, in the Cotentin marshes. The thermometer displays 1°C. Thomas Levesque returned from Vincennes the day before at 9 p.m. One of his horses ran the Prix de Cornulier. He is at his task the next day at dawn with Iroise, his “princess”.

In her box, Iroise is stamping her feet. “She’s a pretty calm mare, but when she knows she’s going to go outside, she’s not the same.” They know each other by heart. Iroise de la Noë arrived at the stable very young. Thomas broke her, he saw her grow and he accompanied her in difficult times.

This large mare, measuring 1.71m at the withers, has often been hampered by health problems. At six years old, she only competed in 25 races. At the start of winter, she was still in bad shape. “But we are more persevering with horses that have classunderlines Thomas Levesque. We knew she had potential. We took our time and here we are going to do the price of America. Now it’s just a bonus.”

On January 12, in the Prix de Belgique, one of the Americas qualifying races, Iroise de la Noë outclassed her opponents. Thomas Levesque, who was on the sulky, quickly put her in the lead. She then set a high tempo which disgusted the competition. “She’s a train mare who lacks a little speed, but when there’s rhythm, she’s at ease. That’s good for an American prize.”

Pierre Levesque jumps from a sulky. He’s coming back from the training track. He too was in Vincennes the day before with one of his horses which also ran the Cornulier. His son’s qualification for the American Prize makes him proud: “At 32 years old, it’s a great success. His mare still went almost a year without racing. He was counting on 2026, but there, she is in good shape and when you are qualified for the Prix d’Amérique , here we go !”

It must be said that the Levesque family maintains a special link with this race, which is considered to be the world championship for trotters. In the 1960s, Henri Levesque registered his name on the list five times. He was notably the trainer and owner of Roquepine, one of the rare horses to have won three years in a row.

“He was my grandfather. I was very young, but they are good memories. He won it five times in eight, it’s exceptional”, says Pierre Levesque, himself winner of three Prix d’Amérique in 2007, 2008 and 2009. He was trainer and driver of Offshore Dream and trainer of Meaulnes du Corta. “They were owners’ horses, they weren’t the family coat, but they’re just as tasty.”

Thomas is on the sulky with Iroise for one of the last training sessions on the straight. The mare is sweating. “There is no secret. Or rather, the secret is work and passion. It’s a demanding job, because you have to be there from morning to evening taking care of the horses.” explains Pierre Levesque.

“We benefited from all of my grandfather’s knowledge. We improved our infrastructure. When there is success, there is an atmosphere. It is certain that when you grow up in this environment, it makes a mark”smiles Pierre Levesque. His two children proudly wear the jacket: Camille, Thomas’ sister, is a jockey. She is the one who rides the house horses.

Iroise is calm. She ran. A young guy offers him a hot shower. Thomas knows that he will not start as favorite on Sunday at Vincennes, but he measures the progress he has made. “When I was a kid, I might have thought it was easy since my father won three in a row. You don’t realize how hard it is, just to have a starter. It’s been ten years since I I’m in the business and I know I have to take advantage of it because it’s not going to happen often.”