The French Equestrian Federation sadly announced that French Olympic dressage team rider Michel Bertraneu passed away on 10 December 2023. He was 74 years old.
French Olympian
Bertraneu's career making dressage horse was Gaillard K, a 1972 born French Anglo Arab gelding by Venutar.
The pair competed in the early 1980s making his premier on the French team at the European Dressage Championships in Aachen.
They were back on the team for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The flight with two layovers was very close to the starting date and the temperatures in LA were hot. The trip took its toll and Gaillard K was not truly fit behind and got eliminated. This made France drop out of the team competition as there were only three pairs, alongside Margit Otto-Crepin on Crapici and Dominique D'Esme on Fresh Wind.
The duo had a very long career at international Grand Prix level and was short listed for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul but did not make the team. Two years later they returned on the team for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, where they finished 56th in the Grand Prix and France was 6th in the team competition.
Trainer and Teacher
After the retirement of Gaillard, Bertraneu continued with FEI horses such as Voyou, Silvermoon, Rendez-Vous and One More. With Silvermoen he was short listed for the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Bertraneu was also a sought after trainer. His best known student is Jean-Pierre Blanco, who is based in Saumur and is nowadays the dressage trainer of the French eventing team. Michel collaborated with eventing rider Karim Laghouag and considered Patrick Le Rolland his mentor. Le Rolland was France's team trainer at the 1984 Olympics.
With his ex-wife Delphne Michel ran a dressage stable in Chaumont-sur-Tharonne since 2012. Delphine arrived at Michel's stable as an amateur seeking lessons, but she quickly gave up her studies to become a nurse and became an apprentice and later on a certified instructor. Delphine has competed Baccara van Weltevreden and Love and Peace Astola at international medium tour level. After being together for twenty years, the couple separated and Michel's presence near the arena became less.
"A Good Eye"
"Under his brown felt hat, cigarette in the corner of his lips, humming a little tune, Michel always had a good eye and wise advice for the riders who were in the arena," she wrote. "The "Chief" as the owners liked to call him, was always ready to give his advice, without ever losing his sense of humor, sometimes cynical, but always kind."
She added that he used to give quirky nicknames to the horses in the barn. "Interested above all in horses, he gave as much interest and passion to Grand Prix horses as to the "pompons" of the stables, who all had a nickname ranging from "Princess the Gray always impeccable" to "Piglet the Spaniard plump," and "Geronimo the paint horse".
Michel leaves behind Delphine and their 15-year old son Raphaël Bertraneu. His funeral is on 15 December at 16h00 at the Theillay crematorium.
Photos © PSV - private
Related Links
Scores: 1990 World Equestrian Games