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THE HORSE WHISPERER

Seeing his success, and hearing whispers, sometimes young guys or girls approached him, asking to do a run. One day a 22-year-old Frenchman, nicknamed Fox, whose father was working in the French consulate, asked him for a job. Fox’s approach was lucky timing, as Andre was about to fly to Bali and always liked to send a few kilos ahead so he’d have cash to play with.

Fox would later meet up with Rafael, work with him, and then double-cross him. But on this first run, like most of his new horses, Andre put him through his paces for three days. Andre’s system aimed to reduce the busts by ensuring the horses were fit to run.

Two days, three days before flying are always nervous days for the horse. They’re thinking, ‘Oh, I can go to jail’, their mind never stops. So when I’m in Brazil, I bring the horse to the beach. ‘You fly Friday, come here Wednesday.’ When they come, they are scared, new horses are always scared. So I put him in the style the guy dreams to be in: the best hotel in front of the beach, I hire a nice car for them for two days. ‘Oh you want to do the parties, I know the best place, you will have a VIP pass tonight.’ So the guy feels good, feels confident. You need to incorporate this personage – ‘Now I’m the man, I’m going to Bali to spend my vacation there. I was in a beautiful place in Brazil, now I’m going to Bali. I’m going to my paradise to have my vacation.’ Forget you have cocaine.

Also, normally I ask, ‘What are you going to do with the money?’ Everyone has a dream; the horse always has one thing they want to buy. I ask them, ‘Why you doing this?’ ‘Ah, I want to buy a car, I want to change my house.’ I just ask the horse once, ‘Are you sure you want to do this? You know about the risks, the death penalty?’ ‘Yes.’ After they say yes, I don’t ask again, just talk about the success. You