Alexis Lapointe

Alexis Lapointe, known as Alexis le Trotteur (Alexis the Trotter) (June 4, 1860 - January 12, 1924) was a Quebec athlete in the early 20th century who has become a legendary character of québécois folklore.

Though the precise identity of the man known as Alexis le Trotteur is the subject of some debate, most historians agree he was in fact Alexis Lapointe, born in 1860 at either Saint-Étienne-de-la-Malbaie or Clermont, in the Charlevoix region, to a family of 14 children. He established himself very early as an eccentric who was persuaded that he was in fact a stallion born in human form. As a child, he built wooden horses to play with. As a teenager, he would whip himself to stimulate his muscles and would undertake long trips throughout his native region, like his favourite animal. His family had trouble accepting his eccentricity; Alexis would leave home at the age of 18 and spend the rest of his life on the road.

His physical exploits have been so embellished over time that it has become difficult to separate the fact from the fiction. He is said to have raced against several horses, against whom he supposedly always won, including the prize stallion of Seigneur Duggan de La Malbaie. It earned him several nicknames, such as le Centaure (the Centaur), le Surcheval (the Superhorse) and le Cheval du Nord (the Horse of the North).

Author Marius Barbeau describes him as a simpleton, having just enough wit to profit from his strangeness ; he became famous in his own way.

Probably the most famous anecdote concerning him tells that one day, he was on the quay of La Malbaie with his father who had to leave by boat to Bagotville at 11 o'clock. According to the legend, his father refused to take him along, so he told him, "When you arrive at Bagotville, I will be there to grab the moorings." Alexis then took a whip to stimulate himself and undertook to run the entire way to Bagotville, that is 146 kilometres. Twelve hours later, when the boat docked at Bagotville at 11 o'clock at night, Alexis was on the wharf waiting for his father.

He would participate in fairs and competitions where he would show off his physical abilities to make a profit. It was said he could dance all evening and all night without tiring. Races were organized in which Alexis raced against trains and the very first cars to appear in the region (he beat them all, of course.)

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