Jean-Francois Bernard deeply mourned
28 May 2015, Warsaw, Poland ~ Jean-Francois Bernard, one of the top trainers of Purebred Arabian horses, passed away in France on Tuesday night 26 June. A minute’s silence was observed to pay tribute to the Frenchman by the packed hall at the Marriott Warsaw Ballroom during Wednesday night’s press conference on the eve of the World Arabian Horse Racing Conference being held in Poland.
“He was a dear friend to the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and was one of the trainers for His Highness Sheikh Mansoor. He was very popular and successful as a Arabian horse trainer and we will surely miss him,” said Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairman of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA), Chairman of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR).
“Bernard in fact saddled the first winner of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival when Simmbad under Jean-Baptiste Hamel won the Zayed The First Listed Cup on August 12, 2009 when the Festival’s first ever overseas race was held at the Duindigt racecourse in The Netherlands”, recalled Ms Sawaya.
A winner of many races, a big moment for Jean-Francois Bernard was his win in the 2013 Dubai Kahayla Classic with Al Mamun Monlau.
Close friend of 40 years Jean-Pierre Deroubaix said of his friend, “He was a champion trainer and had real love for Purebred Arabian horses. He had a great career as a Purebred Arabian horse trainer and had won races in the USA, UK, UAE, Qatar and many European countries. He was straight and a very strong character.”
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