Criquette Head-Maarek

Criquette Head-Maarek
Criquette Head-Maarek
	Criquette Head in April 2014
Occupation	Trainer
Born	6 November 1948 (age 76); Marly-le-Roi
Major racing wins
	British Classic Race wins:; 1000 Guineas (1983, 1988, 1992, 2010); French Classic Race wins:; Poule d'Essai des Pouliches; (1979, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1994, 1995, 1997); Prix de Diane (1982, 2000, 2013); Prix Royal-Oak (1984); Prix du Jockey Club (1986); Poule d'Essai des Poulains (2004); Other Major Wins:; Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (1979, 2013, 2014); Deutschland-Preis (1981); E. P. Taylor Stakes (1984, 1985, 1992); Beverly D. Stakes (1994)
Significant horses
	Ma Biche, Ravinella, Hatoof, Special Duty, Treve, Anabaa, African Rose, Three Troikas, American Post, Bering

Christiane "Criquette" Head (born 6 November 1948 at Marly-le-Roi, near Maisons-Laffitte, France) is a retired French racehorse trainer. Known as Criquette, she was born into the Thoroughbred horse racing business. Her great grandfather was a jockey-turned-trainer as was her grandfather William Head who was a very successful jockey, trainer, and owner in both flat racing and steeplechase events. Her father, Alec Head, became a successful trainer and breeder and the owner of Haras du Quesnay near Deauville. The eldest of three daughters, her brother Freddy Head was the champion jockey six times in France who now trains horses, and sister Martine oversees the operations at Haras du Quesnay.

Background

In her teens, Criquette Head studied for three years in the United Kingdom at schools in Guildford in Surrey and Eastbourne in East Sussex. She started riding ponies as a child then at age 18 began competing as a rider. Trilingual (French, English and Spanish), she lived in Spain for several years before returning home in 1974 where she worked in a brokerage firm but decided on a career in racing.

Training career

She began as an assistant trainer for her father and in 1978 obtained her training license. The following year the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe became a true "Head" family affair. Winner Three Troikas was owned by her mother Ghislaine Head, was ridden by Freddy Head, and trained by Criquette. Her victory in the most prestigious French horse race was the first ever by a female trainer.

The Head family has had a long association in horse racing with the Wertheimer family, proprietors of the House of Chanel perfume company and owners of successful racing stables. Alec Head trained horses for both Pierre Wertheimer (1887-1965) and his son Jacques (1909-1996). In 1983, Criquette Head took over as Jacques Wertheimer's trainer. In 1986 she was the champion trainer in France. She continued to have great success with Wertheimer and his sons Alain and Gérard until they ended their working relationship in August 2006 following a disagreement over the owners' retained jockey, Olivier Peslier.

Criquette Head lived and trained in Chantilly and is president of the French Trainers' Association. A registered bloodstock agent since 1976, she trains for other notable stable owners such as Prince Khalid Abdullah, John T. L. Jones, Jr. and until his death in 2006 Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum.