Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard was a Thoroughbred horse breeding farm in Neuvy-au-Houlme in the Orne department in Lower Normandy purchased by Marcel Boussac in 1919. Widely respected, Marcel Boussac was called "the greatest of French breeders" by John P. Sparkman, an editor with Thoroughbred Times . [1] Boussac's highly successful operation produced a number of racing champions through its numerous top foundation broodmares and world class sires.
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered "hot-blooded" horses that are known for their agility, speed, and spirit.
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses. Furthermore, modern breeding management and technologies can increase the rate of conception, a healthy pregnancy, and successful foaling.
Neuvy-au-Houlme is a commune in the Orne department in northwestern France.
Among the many top runners from Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard were Corrida, Djebel, Pharis, Ardan, and Marsyas. For breeding purposes, Marcel Boussac purchased the United States Triple Crown winner Whirlaway and sold the mare La Troienne to Edward R. Bradley's Idle Hour Stock Farm in Lexington, Kentucky who became one of the most influential mares to be imported into the U.S. in the 20th century. He also bred raced, and ultimately sold Ambiorix to Claiborne Farm in Kentucky who became the Leading sire in North America in 1961.
Corrida was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who won races in France, Belgium, Germany and England and is regarded as one of the top fillies of the 20th century worldwide. She is best known for her back-to-back wins in France's most prestigious horse race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Djebel (1937–1958) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse, who won 15 of 22 races during 1939-1942 including the Prix d'Essai, 2000 Guineas and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was later a leading sire in France and is responsible for the survival of the Byerley Turk sire line into the 21st century.
Pharis (1936–1957) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who is "considered one of the greatest French-bred runners of the century," according to Thoroughbred Heritage. Named for the Spartan town of Pharis, he was owned and bred by leading French horseman, Marcel Boussac.
Following the German occupation of France the Nazis seized some of the best racehorses in the country including those at Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard who were shipped to Germany to be used for breeding at the German National Stud. Following the end of the War in 1945, some of these horses were recovered and returned to stud duty.
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central and Western Europe, lying between the Baltic and North Seas to the north, and the Alps to the south. It borders Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, France to the southwest, and Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands to the west.
A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is intact—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring. A specialized vocabulary exists for de-sexed animals and those animals used in grading up to a purebred status.
French Champion sires bred at Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard were:
The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in France for each year since 1887. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season. Due to the huge prize money of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the sire of the winner of that race has corresponded with the Leading Sire in France since 2005.
- Astérus (1934)
- Tourbillon (1940, 1942, 1945)
- Pharis (1944)
- Goya II (1947, 1948)
- Djebel (1949, 1956)
Tourbillon (1928–1954) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion sire.
In the late 1970s, Marcel Boussac's business empire ran into severe financial difficulties that led to bankruptcy. Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard was sold to Fresnay Agricole S.A. who owned it for only a short time before selling it to Stavros Niarchos. [2]
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor.
Stavros Spyros Niarchos was a multi-billionaire Greek shipping tycoon. Starting in 1952, he had the world's biggest supertankers built for his fleet. Propelled by both the Suez Crisis and an increasing demand for oil, he and rival Aristotle Onassis became giants in global petroleum shipping.
