Horse racing: a sulky is worth gold

It's a bit of an arms race.

In all disciplines where speed is king, technology has constantly pushed the limits and beat records.

It was no different in horse racing, especially in trotting with the improvement of the sulkies.

First in wood and then in steel, they are now made of carbon.

“In addition to the progress of the horses, the equipment made it possible to go faster and faster;

it went hand in hand, ”says Joel Hallais, one of the greatest coaches in history.

The 73-year-old has witnessed these developments and adds: “Before, professionals placed more importance on comfort and safety.

In the 1980s, there was already a marked improvement.

A sulky was expensive at the time, between 6,000 and 10,000 francs, but it was not such a large investment as it is today.

“And for good reason, the use of carbon has caused prices to soar since it is now necessary to pay more than € 10,000 for the top of the range.

Serial thefts, Bold Eagle also a victim

This value has also fueled unhealthy lusts.

In recent years, around 100 thefts have taken place.

In 2019, a judicial investigation was opened, which resulted in three arrests concerning the disappearance of twenty-three sulkies, very likely resold in Malta and Italy.

As a result, insurance companies no longer accept to cover the risks relating to these objects that are a source of greed, as Didier Delaunay confirms: “In addition to thefts within the stables, the sulkies are regularly in transit, particularly to racetracks, which increases the risk.

As a result, we could no longer afford to insure them.

"In 2019, the official sulky of the champion

, double winner of the Prix d'Amérique, had been stolen in the Orne which had" allowed "to publicize this scourge.