Rene Piechulek

{{Short description|German flat racing jockey}} {{Infobox horseracing personality|image=250px|occupation=Jockey|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1987|04|24}}<ref name="jra" />|birth_place=Dessau, Dessau-Roßlau, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany|nationality=German|height=169cm<ref name="jra" />|weight=54kg<ref name="jra" />|caption=Piechulek in 2024}}'''Rene Piechulek''' (born April 24, 1987)<ref name="jra">{{Cite web |date=2024-01-04 |title=Gaikoku hito kishu e no tanki menkyo no kōfu |script-title=ja:外国人騎手への短期免許の交付 |trans-title=Issuance of short-term licenses to foreign jockeys |url=https://jra.jp/news/202401/010409.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107021309/https://jra.jp/news/202401/010409.html |archive-date=2024-01-07 |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=Japan Racing Association |language=ja}}</ref> is a German flat racing jockey.

== Career == Piechulek earned his first jockey license in Germany in 2004.<ref name="jra"/>

In 2021, Piechulek won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with Torquator Tasso.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lees |first=Jon |date=2021-10-18 |title='Greatest Moment Of My Career': Jockey Rene Piechulek Savoring Massive Arc Win With Torquator Tasso |url=https://paulickreport.com/news/greatest-moment-of-my-career-jockey-rene-piechulek-savoring-massive-arc-win-with-torquator-tasso |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=Paulick Report |language=en}}</ref> The riding crop he used in that race was a gift that Filip Minařík, who had recently retired at the time, gave to him from Japan.<ref name="chunichi">{{Cite web |last=Koizumi |first=Emi |date=2021-10-09 |title=[Koizumi emi koramu] nihonba yori, Nihon kishu yori saki ni, Nihon no bagu ga gaisenmonshō renpa! Minariku to pīhyureku no yūjō no kiseki |script-title=ja:【小泉恵未コラム】日本馬より、日本騎手より先に、日本の馬具が凱旋門賞連覇！ミナリクとピーヒュレクの友情の奇跡 |trans-title=[Emi Koizumi Column] Japanese harnesses win the Arc de Triomphe Award consecutively, ahead of Japanese horses and Japanese jockeys! The miracle of friendship between Minarik and Pihyurek |url=https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/344868 |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=中日スポーツ・東京中日スポーツ |language=ja}}</ref>

In 2024, Piechulek came to Japan as a jockey for the first time, using the short-term license policy.{{Efn|Previously, he came to Japan as an assistant trainer for Ivanhowe and Ito, who raced in the Japan Cup in 2014 and 2015 each, respectively.<ref name="sponichi">{{Cite web |title=Doku rīdingu 2-i no pīhyureku, toshiake ni JRA tanki menkyo shutoku e 21-nen gaisenmonshō V Doku de hōdō |script-title=ja:独リーディング2位のピーヒュレク、年明けにJRA短期免許取得へ 21年凱旋門賞V 独で報道 |trans-title=Piehürek, Germany's leading 2nd place, will obtain JRA short-term license in the new year 2021 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe V reported in Germany |url=https://keiba.sponichi.co.jp/news/20231121s00004050486000c |website=スポーツニッポン |date=2023-11-21 |access-date=2024-02-19 |language=ja}}</ref>}} He secured his first victory in Japan after 32 starts, on January 14, when Roselle won R12 of the Nakayama Racecourse that day.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ando |first=Hiroshi |date=2024-01-16 |title=Nagakatta 2-shūkan…, rene ga 14-nichi Nakayama saishū rēsu de JRA hatsu shōri kongo mo ōen onegaishimasu |script-title=ja:長かった２週間…、レネが14日中山最終レースでJRA初勝利今後も応援お願いします |trans-title=It's been a long two weeks... Rene wins her first JRA victory in the final race on the 14th Nakayama. Please continue to support us. |url=https://www.nikkansports.com/keiba/column/ando/news/202401160000268.html |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=Nikkan Sports |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-14 |title=Tanki menkyo de rainichi-chū no R pīhyureku ga JRA hatsu shōri `Nihon no keiba reberu no taka-sa wa omotta ijō' |script-title=ja:短期免許で来日中のＲ・ピーヒュレクがＪＲＡ初勝利「日本の競馬レベルの高さは思った以上」 |trans-title=R. Piehürek, who came to Japan on a short-term license, wins his first JRA victory: "The level of horse racing in Japan is higher than I expected." |url=https://tospo-keiba.jp/breaking_news/41007 |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=東スポ競馬 |publisher=Tokyo Sports |language=ja}}</ref> He later won his first JRA graded race on February 4 when he won the Kisaragi Sho with Byzantine Dream.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-04 |title=[Kisaragi-shō] bizanchindorīmu ga dai sessen o seishite mukizu 2 renshō de jūshō hatsu V pīhyureku kishu mo JRA hatsu taitoru |script-title=ja:【きさらぎ賞】ビザンチンドリームが大接戦を制して無傷２連勝で重賞初Ｖピーヒュレク騎手もＪＲＡ初タイトル |trans-title=[Kisaragi Prize] Byzantine Dream wins a close battle and wins the second consecutive victory without losing his first major prize. Piehürek jockey also wins his first JRA title. |url=https://umatoku.hochi.co.jp/articles/20240204-OHT1T51154.html |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=UMATOKU |publisher=Sports Hochi |language=ja-JP}}</ref> On February 16, the JRA announced that as of February 18 he would be cancelling his short-term license with the JRA due to personal reasons.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-16 |title=Rene pīhyureku kishu no tanki menkyo o 2 tsuki 18 hidzuke de torikeshi isshinjō no tsugō ni yori |script-title=ja:レネ・ピーヒュレク騎手の短期免許を２月１８日付で取り消し一身上の都合により |trans-title=Jockey René Piehürek's short-term license canceled as of February 18th due to personal reasons. |url=https://umatoku.hochi.co.jp/articles/20240216-OHT1T51077.html |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=UMATOKU |publisher=Sports Hochi |language=ja-JP}}</ref>

== Major wins ==

=== France ===

* Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Torquator Tasso (2021) * Prix Niel - Fantastic Moon (2023)

=== Germany ===

* Bayerisches Zuchtrennen - Sammarco (2022) * Deutsches Derby - Fantastic Moon (2023) * Grosser Preis von Baden - Torquator Tasso (2021), Mendocino (2022), Fantastic Moon (2024) * Hansa-Preis - Torquator Tasso (2021, 2022), Lordano(2024) * Preis von Europa - India (2023) * Carl Jaspers-Preis - Lordano (2024) * Oettingen-Rennen - Calif (2023)

=== Japan ===

* Kisaragi Sho - Byzantine Dream（2024）

== References ==

=== Footnotes === {{Notelist}}

=== Citation === <references />

== External links == * {{Facebook|rene.piechulek}}

Category:Sportspeople from Dessau-Roßlau Category:German jockeys Category:Living people Category:1987 births Category:Sportspeople from Saxony-Anhalt