Municipal employee, he won the world riding title of Gentleman Rider at the Fegentri 2024: “a great pride!”

In La-Chapelle-de-Guinchay (Saône-et-Loire), Jonathan Plassard is a youth worker and municipal employee. He is also an amateur jockey and has just won the title of 2024 Fegentri World Champion, a federation of amateur riders, in the “Gentleman rider” category.

Don’t talk to him about professionalism. Jonathan Plassard is an amateur, certainly titled, but he wants to remain in this category.

The title of World Champion is fresh: “It ended last Saturday in Pisa, Italy!” said Jonathan Plassard with joy. The podium is expected in April, but he can already savor his victory with 39 points in the standings, 7 points ahead of second Matyas Luka, from the Czech Republic.

Fegentri is the International Federation of Gentlemen Riders and Equestrians and allows amateur riders to participate in world competitions.

Amateurism, a position that suits Jonathan well, who does not wish to turn professional, for several reasons: “First problem is my weight, and then I’m in a professional situation, that would cause too many changes. I’m a little too old to go professional!”

If horse riding surrounded him from a very young age, Jonathan Plassard also went through the box “football”, trained by Alain Griezmann, Antoine’s father, in Mâcon: “I was playing in CFA2, I didn’t have much time for horse riding. I wanted to get back into it, maybe that’s why I didn’t turn professional, I arrived a little late in the circuit. But that way, being an amateur suits me very well!”

An organization where, despite everything, you have to reconcile competition, professional life and family life, as Jonathan explains: “The races are a bit of a 24 hour affair, there are no public holidays and the program requires races to be held during the week, whether for the world championship or the regular championship all year round. organizes myself to work overtime at work and I try to give them as much advance notice as possible so that I can free myself up to go up.”

The town hall supported me throughout

In this precise organization, the jockey manages to make everything coincide: “They are very accommodating at the municipality, and have supported me throughout. It’s starting to become known in the municipality, for 8 months they have been following my progress at the town hall with the results. It’s a source of pride for me and for my family, it’s not easy for them either!”

In this organization, the jockey explains how to stay up to date: “All year round, we have amateur races, I have races which go until December 2, I am going to Auteuil for an obstacle course, then one in Deauville and one in Nîmes by the end of the year. ‘year.”

Jonathan must stay up to date: “We have a year-round calendar, we may be called upon to ride for certain races but not all, it’s a little complicated to anticipate. I race twice a week, I train every Wednesday. If we don’t don’t train, it’s not possible, there is a big performance from the horse, but there is also a physical performance from the rider.”

The mayor of the town, Hervé Carreau, does not hide his enthusiasm around this title of world champion: “It’s a great success, we’re proud of him. Of course, it highlights La Chapelle!”

In terms of successes, the mayor does not forget to mention that his municipality is carrying them: “Last year we had Miss Burgundy… this year, a World Champion!”

The municipality has always supported Jonathan Plassard in his activities as an amateur jockey, and towards his fellow municipal employees, as the mayor attests: “He is someone who is very well perceived. He was a leader with young teenagers in the town. Since September he has moved on to something else, he is still in our services. He is very popular in the town.”

Support which also translates into an easier schedule so that municipal employees can go to competitions and races: “We had to adjust his schedule to allow him to go on long weekends of competition.”

Concerning horse riding, the small town of 4,200 inhabitants cannot encourage horse riding at its level due to lack of resources. Hervé Carreau rap

shovel that “the major horse racing center in the sector is located in the neighboring town of Mâcon-Chaintré.”
On the other hand, celebrating the title of World Champion, “It’s planned!” assures the mayor. “We will do something for him at the beginning of 2025, at which point we will have a lot of people!”