Guillaume de Saint-Seine

Guillaume Herrnberger, currently managing director of AFASEC, has been appointed to the role of deputy managing director of France Galop, alongside Henri Pouret who has held the same title since February 2024. France Galop will now be managed in tandem by Pouret and Herrnberger, both of whom will report to the president, Guillaume de Saint-Seine, who chaired a meeting of the Board of Directors on Monday. The appointment of Herrnberger and changes to the leadership structure follow the departure of Elie Hennau from his role as managing director last month....

Elie Hennau has left his role as managing director of France Galop with immediate effect, according to reports published in Jour de Galop and Paris-Turf. France Galop president Guillaume de Saint-Seine confirmed the news to staff on Friday afernoon. He said, "Elie Hennau is stepping down from his position as managing director. We would like to thank him for his work and commitment to the industry over the past two years. We wish him every success in his future endeavours."  Hennau, a former amateur rider with a business background in...

France Galop received a trio of awards including the Grand Prix of Sport Business 2025 for their 'Horses in the City' event at CNOSF on Wednesday evening. The Grand Prix of Sport Business recognises the best initiatives and activations led by public and private stakeholders in support of sport and its ecosystem in France. They also received the Prix Or, for the best event activation in support of sport, and the Prix Argent for Best Marketing by a sports organisation, for its sportainement strategy to reconnect the French public with...

It is plain to see that the Aga Khan Studs are in excellent hands, but the passing of His Highness the Aga Khan IV nevertheless signals the end of one of the most significant chapters in the long and storied history of Thoroughbred breeding. During his 65-year tenure at the head of the Aga Khan Studs, he presided over a prolonged period of growth, both in the stature and size of the operation, which was consolidated and expanded by the acquisition of stock from other major breeders. Those included Francois...

The 2025 France Galop budget has been formally adopted by the organisation's council, which met at ParisLongchamp on Dec. 17. France Galop president Guillaume de Saint-Seine said that the organisation will maintain 2024 prize-money levels. However, he also said that a full audit of the PMU, of which France Galop is a shareholder, would commence in the first quarter of 2025. The PMU's gambling turnover for the past year has decreased by just under €100 million, leading to a loss of €18 million in contributions to racing and trotting. De...

A new Owners' Plan with the aim of increasing the number of horses in training in the country, a key priority for the organisation's president, Guillaume de Saint-Seine, was announced by France Galop on Wednesday. Although the number of active owners in France has increased by 600 in the last three years, the number of horses in training, and therefore the number of runners, has gone down. France Galop report that this situation is due to the fact that a number of new owners opt for shared ownership. Though some...

Elie Hennau has been appointed director general of France Galop, with Henri Pouret promoted to deputy managing director of the organisation. Pouret, who has been with France Galop for 20 years and was previously the deputy general manager, will remain in charge of racing operations and the management of racecourses and training centres. He will also represent France Galop in international matters.  Hennau, a former amateur rider, has previously been president of the Fegentri organisation for amateurs. With a business background in insurance, he is currently director of the individual...

The 56 new France Galop committee members met on Tuesday, December 12 at ParisLongchamp racecourse and elected Guillaume de Saint-Seine as the new President of France Galop for a four-year term that starts immediately. Three candidates addressed the new Committee. Saint-Seine received 25 votes in the first round, Jacques Détré got 17 and Louis de Bourgoing 14. The latter defected for the second round and gave his support to Détré, but Saint-Seine managed to obtain the required 29 votes to be elected in the second round, with Détré getting 25...