Haras du Quesnay, known as "Le Quesnay", is a
thoroughbred
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 ...
horse breeding farm in France about four miles (6 km) outside the city of
Deauville
Deauville () is a commune in the Calvados department, Normandy, northwestern France. Major attractions include its harbour, race course, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino, and sumptuous hotels. The first Deauville Asian Film F ...
on 3 km².
Early years
The stud was established in 1907 by wealthy American sportsman
William Kissam Vanderbilt
William Kissam "Willie" Vanderbilt I (December 12, 1849 – July 22, 1920) was an American heir, businessman, philanthropist and horsebreeder. Born into the Vanderbilt family, he managed his family's railroad investments.
Early life
William Kiss ...
. He sold the property to another American horseman,
A. Kingsley Macomber,
whose colt
War Cloud
War Cloud (1915–1923) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was the first horse to compete in all three U.S.Triple Crown races.
Background
Bred by Jack Barnato Joel, one of Britain's most prominent Thoroughbred owner/breeders, W ...
won the 1918
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () o ...
. Macomber had other wins, including the 1923
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, over a distance ...
.
Prior to and during the
German occupation of France in World War II
The Military Administration in France (german: Militärverwaltung in Frankreich; french: Occupation de la France par l'Allemagne) was an military Administration (Nazi Germany), interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during Wor ...
the property was left abandoned.
Head family
In 1958 the farm was acquired by prominent French
horseman Alec Head, a descendant of the trainers who founded the
English Racing Colony in
Chantilly, Oise
Chantilly ( , ) is a commune in the Oise department in the Valley of the Nonette in the Hauts-de-France region of Northern France. Surrounded by Chantilly Forest, the town of 10,863 inhabitants (2017) falls within the metropolitan area of Pa ...
. Alec Head undertook a massive restoration of the facilities and in 1959 brought in the farm's first stallion. Over the years he and his wife Ghislaine developed Haras du Quesnay into one of the leading stud farms in the country with horses acquired from across Europe and the United States.
Children of Alec Head have been distinguished participants in the horse racing industry. Daughter Martine is involved with managing the farm, son
Freddy was a leading jockey and a trainer most notably of
Goldikova
Goldikova (15 March 2005 – 5 January 2021) was a champion French Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Mile three times and was the 2010 European Horse of the Year.
She was based in France, although she also raced in the United St ...
, and daughter
Criquette Head
Christiane "Criquette" Head (born 6 November 1948 at Marly-le-Roi, near Maisons-Laffitte, France) is a retired French racehorse trainer. Known as Criquette, she was born into the Thoroughbred horse racing business. Her great grandfather was a j ...
is one of France's leading trainers and the most successful female Thoroughbred trainer in the world.
Notable stallions
Haras du Quesnay was home to prominent sires and broodmares such as
Sir Gaylord
Sir Gaylord (February 12, 1959 – 1981) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who later became a successful sire.
Background
He was bred and raced by Christopher Chenery. Sir Gaylord was sired by the British-bred, American-raced Turn-To out ...
, 1968
Kentucky Derby winner
Dancer's Image
Dancer's Image (April 10, 1965 – December 26, 1992) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the first winner in the history of the Kentucky Derby to be disqualified.
Background
Dancer's Image was a gray horse owned and bred by businessm ...
, the leading sire of broodmares in France in 1980
Le Fabuleux,
Arctic Tern,
Anabaa
Anabaa (1992 – 2009) was an American-bred champion Thoroughbred racehorse who was trained in France during a racing career which lasted from September 1995 to October 1996. Anabaa failed to win until the age of four, but in 1996 he won his ...
, six-time champion sire in France
Highest Honor, and
Numerous, a son of
Mr. Prospector.
References
Haras du Quesnay website(English, French, Spanish languages)
* ''Peter O'Sullevan's Horse Racing Heroes''.
Peter O'Sullevan
Sir Peter O'Sullevan (3 March 1918 – 29 July 2015) was an Irish-British horse racing commentator for the BBC, and a correspondent for the Press Association, the ''Daily Express'', and ''Today''. He was the BBC's leading horse racing comme ...
(2005)
Highdown Books {{ISBN, 1-904317-75-8
26 July 2006 article at the-racehorse.com on Haras du Quesnay
French racehorse owners and breeders
Horse farms in France
Buildings and structures in Calvados (department)
Vanderbilt family residences
English Racing Colony at Chantilly