Sources have confirmed that Alain Fortin, a well-known horseman from France, is no more as he tragically lost his life in a car accident that took place on September 1, 2024, in Haute-Marne.
The 61-year-old horseman was returning from the Grande Semaine de l’élevage in Fontainebleau, driving his car, when a minivan and a minibus collided at the Beaulieu crossroads between Éclaron and Braucourt in Haute-Marne.
After the accident, Alain Fortin reportedly lost his life at the scene where four others—Chaumont, Reims, Nancy, and Dijon—were seriously injured and rushed to the hospital.
He left behind his wife, Julie Bogaert, and their two young daughters, Lilas, 12, and Louise, 9. He also had three other children from his first marriage: Joseph, Annette, and Germain.
The news of Alain Fortin’s passing came as a shock in the world of equestrianism!
Alain Fortin, born in 1963 in Paris, was a prominent figure in the equestrian world, especially in the sport horse breeding sector.
He has been interested in horse riding from an early age, and he received training during his education at Yvetot Agricultural High School.
Further, he also joined the Haras national du Pin and at the CEZ in Rambouillet, from where he enhanced his residing skills.
In 1989, he started working as an instructor at the Madine Equestrian Center in Meuse and obtained his instructorship in Saumur.
Meuse. Décès d’Alain Fortin, éleveur-dresseur de chevaux de sport https://t.co/iqZwE8Y2lN
— L'Est Républicain (@lestrepublicain) September 2, 2024
Later, he settled permanently in Madine with the help of the Meuse general council, which supported the promotion of young horses born in the department.
However, after 25 years of his career in Madine, he decided to settle in Vassincourt at the end of 2014, which is very close to Bar-le-Duc.
Further through his career, he trained various talented horses, including Quiness du Mezel and the star Brazyl du Mézel, which went to the highest level by Simon Delestre and François-Xavier Boudant.
Overall, Alain Fortin’s admiration is everywhere; as the founder of the Mezel breeding farm in Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lucien Hecht stated, “He didn’t just ride, he invested in the horses he believed in, which was unusual at the time. He had a special eye for detecting the potential of horses and didn’t hesitate to say what he thought.”
Additional Information
- Alain Fortin is a notable French equestrian who has received various awards and accolades from his competitions.
- Fortin married twice, and he shares three children from his first wife and two children from his current wife, Julie Bogaert, whom he married during the summer of 2021. Julie Bogaert runs the Écuries Jeand’heurs in Meuse.
- Alain Fortin is also a great breeder and trainer of show-jumping horses and has lived in Vassincourt in Meuse for over 10 years.
