LJ BREEDING FARM: A FAMILY TRADITION

‘My grandfather's three A's creed. A for air, meaning large open spaces, water, continuous monitoring of the drinking trough, and oats, the food that must never be lacking and that we must produce’.

Dario De Angelis tells us the story of the LJ farm that dates back to the dawn of time.

During the First World War, my grandfather's father bred saddle horses for the army, and then at the end of the 1940s, my grandfather switched from saddle horses to trotters. Of our three children, my mother was the real enthusiast who helped to keep the Jemma tradition going for a few years and to pass on her love of these animals to me.

Dario, when did you take over from your mother as manager of the trotting horse breeding farm?
I arrived in 2016 and I take care of the fifty hectares of land, half of which is used for breeding. I constantly rely on an agronomist with whom I analyse the soil to produce animal feed, because everything we use on the farm is grown by us. A few years ago I invested in infrastructure, improving and expanding the paddocks. And not only that. We are now investing in the mares.

But is this your main job?
No, my main job is something else. I'm an entrepreneur, thanks to a degree in economics and business with a master's in finance. This is a pure passion for horses and what interests me is that costs should be covered by revenues. For the moment the accounts add up.

How many mares do you have?
I have 12 at the moment, my grandfather had up to 80. The latest arrivals are Birba Caf, Eleonor di Poggio, Brunita Caf and Fantastica Laksmy.

The product you're most proud of since taking over from your mother, and which one is giving you the most satisfaction?
The horse we dream about is Frankie LJ, seeing him run in the Derby and then in Paris was an immense satisfaction.

An evaluation of Italian breeding?
We've reached an excellent level. The Italian breed has produced champions. Sharif di Iesolo and Varenne have been extraordinary sires. As for the breeders, Biasuzzi, Pietrasanta, Toniatti and others have been far-sighted, managing to anticipate the market by working hard on their reference lines.

Your thoughts on the current state of Italian horse racing.
I'm an optimist by nature and I believe that the best is yet to come. But I'm optimistic for a reason. Because before, in France, you were just a spectator, but now the tables have turned; we've become real protagonists on the international horse racing scene.

What should be emphasised?
The lack of planning and the problem of payments because it becomes difficult for the related industries to keep up with the quality. Politics must recognise the potential of this sport and promote it as much as possible. We need more attention from the Ministry because we are excellent.

But there is also a lot to save.
Certainly. The quality of the horses has improved a lot. Owners have become experts in buying horses. Now they pay attention to everything: whether a horse is harmonious, whether its limbs are clean, and its beauty. You have to study the family as a whole. A foal is chosen for its genealogy, its morphology and even how its brothers and sisters moved.

So the quality of the owners has changed?
Yes, very much so. There's a domino effect. The owner is more demanding because he's more prepared and the breeders have adapted by offering attractive foals. Even at the ITS Auctions, the catalogue offered some amazing products and the production has attracted the interest of foreign customers, even overseas.

Is it true that you breeders become jealous of the foals you sell?
I think above all about the welfare of the animal and I would like those who buy my horses to treat them like jewels. If I'm not convinced by a client I don't give them to them willingly. I want them to be treated well both as athletes but above all as living beings.

Anything you're particularly passionate about?
Pedigrees. I'm lucky enough to have two colleagues who are even more expert than me. I have an unbridled passion for American horses. This year we'll do some breeding and I was thinking of Father Patrick, Green Shoes, Tactical Landing, Face Time Bourbon and a couple of Varennes that we do every year.

Any dreams you'd like to realise as a breeder, Dario De Angelis?
Seeing Frankie LJ run in the Derby was already a dream come true, but I don't set limits on dreams, they cost nothing.

In the photo Dario De Angelis with the mascot Balzac LJ