Tributes paid to jockey, 23, who tragically died after stroke in the saddle

Irish Daily Mirror

4 days ago

The racing community is mourning the loss of Pierre-Alfred Grondin, a promising young jump jockey who tragically passed away after suffering a stroke while riding. The 23 year old, originally from Reunion Island, had moved to France a decade ago with aspirations of becoming a professional jockey.
French media reported that Grondin experienced a cardio-neurovascular incident at Maisons-Laffitte during training, just a week shy of his 24th birthday.
Grondin's journey in horse racing began when he arrived in mainland France at 14 without any prior experience riding horses. He joined Afasec, an organisation dedicated to recruiting and training individuals for the horse racing sector.
His initial year was spent under the tutelage of trainer Fabrice Chappet in Chantilly, before he transitioned to Maisons-Laffitte to work with Jehan Bertran de Balanda.
Grondin celebrated his first victory as a jockey at Auteuil in 2021, riding for Balanda, and accumulated a total of eight wins throughout his career. His most recent triumph was at Compiegne in March 2024, and he had participated in ten races in 2025, reports the Mirror.
Balanda spoke to Paris-Turf, reminiscing: "He stayed with me for four or five years. I had sent him to Yannick Fouin for a month or two.
"He was a great kid, who loved horses. He was very conscientious, very hard-working. He really didn't deserve to leave so soon. ".
A poignant tribute was paid on Saturday with a minute's silence observed before the first race at Dieppe, where fellow jockeys donned black armbands in his memory. Gabin Meunier, a friend of Grondin, dedicated his win on the day to him.
An outpouring of condolences and memories flooded the Facebook page of DLG et les Acteurs de Galop, as many shared their sorrow and honoured Grondin's life and career.
One individual recalled: "I still remember I passed the selection tests at the Island of Reunion to enter this school and we were in the same group. I think he had never taken horse riding lessons but he showed us his motivation and his potential.
"We were in the same group to leave and when we arrived in France, he was very kind, and he worked hard to reach that level and got where he is. Courage to these parents and his family, rest in peace Pierre."