August 13, 2023 
At a time when five star Grand Prix winners seem to be getting younger by the second, France’s François Xavier Boudant is a reminder that good things can still come to those who wait.
At 43, Boudant has the best horse of his career in Brazyl du Mezel. Here’s the thing, it was never meant to be his horse.
The Selle Français gelding was originally purchased for Boudant’s client and fellow Frenchman, Lionel Maurice. The amateur rider did precisely one FEI show with the then-seven year old in November 2018, then was sidelined by a broken arm.
Maurice handed the reins to Boudant. The match was instant.
In 2019, the horse’s 8-year-old year, Boudant and Brazyl du Mezel had a 70% clear round average across all heights up to 1.45m, according to Jumpr App. In 2020, it was 80%.
“We started gradually but we immediately got good results. We’ve slowly climbed up the ladder one by one so far,” the French rider said in an interview with Cheval magazine earlier this year.
Boudant is no stranger to international competition. He’s earned 245 podium finishes and over €774,000 in prize earnings since 2015 (Jumpr App). But only a fraction of those results have been at 1.50m and above.
François Xavier Boudon’s FEI rounds by height:
That’s changing with Brazyl du Mezel.
In 2021, the pair made their 1.60m debut and, in just their third appearance at the height logged their first 4* Grand Prix victory. Their Jumpr App stats are equally impressive. They were clear in 71% of seven 1.50m rounds and 100% of three 1.55m rounds that year, logging eight podium finishes.
In 2022, they added three more, including two 1.50m wins.
“[He’s] the kindest horse that exists on Earth,” Boudant told Cheval magazine.
“It is not the easiest physique—he can be quite stiff—but he always wants to do well. He always says yes. As soon as you ask him something, he tries it.”
This year, Boudant and Brazyl du Mezel’s star has continued to rise. The pair made the senior Nations Cup team for France in St. Gallen, Switzerland (4/0) and Rotterdam, Netherlands (4/4) and have earned six podium finishes to date.
On Sunday, in Dublin, Ireland, they recorded the biggest win yet of both their careers—the CSI5* Longines International Grand Prix of Ireland.
And did they ever earn it.
Twelve of the original 39 starters qualified for the short track of Alan Wade’s 1.60m course. In the packed stadium before an always enthusiastic Irish crowd, nary a one was riding for second.
Jerome Guery (BEL) and Floris TN and Abdel Said (BEL) with Bonne Amie each took a blistering crack at the course and paid for it in rails. Third to return, Boudant and Brazyl du Mezel were the first to find a clear path, stopping the clock at 38.15 seconds.
Then came the agonizing wait as Friday’s Nations Cup winners Bryan Balsigner and Martin Fuchs of Switzerland, Samuel Hutton and Harry Charles of Great Britain, and Ireland’s Michael Duffy and speedy siblings Harry and Bertram Allen each tried to catch the time.
Charles came closest, crossing the timers clear in 38.65s. Hutton delivered the only other clear in 39.35s to take third. Last to return, Bertram had the time (36.79s) but not the clear, collecting four faults to settle for fourth and hand the win to Boudant.
He’s now the third French rider in history to capture the title—and on his first try, too.
“[Brazyl du Mezel] only keeps getting better!” said Boudant. “For us, he is the best horse there is.”
