In 1997 in France, 16 000 races have drawn 8 million bets with a total turnover of 34 billion francs. A considerable part of the money goes to the horse owners, among them some of the richest families of the country. The majority of horse owners, however, are not part of that income bracket. Sustained solely by their driving passion, they are often carried away by their dreams of fortune and run into serious debts before disappearing from the scene Their horses run in the most popular races, yet the gains are mere crumbs compared to the big stables. Still, it is every race goers dream to own his horse – an impossible dream if the racing system is not reformed.