How it all began -     Oekie Pau 2008.jpg

Frederic Varin was born in Nantes on the 8th June 1977.  It wasn't until he was 7 years old that he rode his first pony..  He was not born in the saddle like some eventer's but had to wait until his grandmother paid for him to have a riding lesson as a birthday present. He was hooked.

As the years passed his parents became increasingly desperate about what to do with him. They hoped he would become a gymnast as he showed real talent and ability. Unfortunately Fred did not share this feeling. He competed in the French Championships and then decided to retire from gymnastics, cleverly appealing to his parents’ good nature by persuading them that the older competitors were constantly intimidating him.

So, on to tennis - surely Fred would enjoy this active outdoor sport? Yes, he loved it but was terrible at it and so spent most of his practice time fighting with his friend and their rackets! The clash of the wood on wood reverberated around the courts and so Fred was put to running round and round the courts as punishment for this very unruly behaviour. Great stamina training for the cross country in the future !

Next, a change of scene was thought to be needed so Fred was set a-sail on the water. Never could a more unmatched scenario be deployed. Two things that definitely do not go together :  Fred and water.  Disaster struck on the very first day when Fred was expelled from the sailing school ‘with immediate effect’. His poor partner, a girl called Caroline, who possibly still requires therapy from the incident, was dumped from the boat into the middle of La Baule's Bay because she was scratching him with her nails! Fred remembers calling her some terrible names and somehow she flipped overboard! Perhaps Caroline secretly watches Fred going cross country now and stands at the water complex's with a glint in her eye.

While Fred was exploring the sporting opportunities and wreaking havoc it was noticed that he was really in his element when he went with his grandfather to the racetrack. He loved running around the course and climbing over the hedges, pretending to be a horse (something that all horse enthusiasts will secretly admit to doing when they were younger !) Fred accompanied his grandfather, a devoted thoroughbred fan, to race meetings and listened to everything he taught him. Fred inherited his grandfather’s passion, at last he knew where he felt at home. He was soon addicted to thoroughbreds and riding and absorbed everything he could about horses.