The Haras d'Ouilly is a renowned
horse breeding farm in
Pont-d'Ouilly
Pont-d'Ouilly () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
Pont-d'Ouilly is home to the famous Haras d'Ouilly, a Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding business currently owned by the Aga Khan IV
...
,
Calvados
Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples or pears, or from apples with pears.
History In France
Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Nor ...
in the
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
region of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
established in the 19th century.
The property was purchased in 1895 by
Auguste-Louis-Albéric, prince d'Arenberg for his son
Pierre d'Arenberg who built the stables and established it as a
horse breeding operation.
Haras d'Ouilly was acquired by the
Louis Jean Decazes in 1916. He acquired several top broodmares and in 1918 purchased the prominent sire
Prince Palatine
Prince Palatine (1908–1924) was a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse. He was named for Duchy of Lancaster, County Palatine of Lancaster near where his breeder William Walker, 1st Baron Wa ...
from the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
breeder
Jack Barnato Joel
Isaac "Jack" Barnato Joel (29 September 1862 – 13 November 1940) was a South African mining magnate and a champion horse breeder.
Early life
Isaac Barnato Joel was born on 29 September 1862 into a Jewish family, being one of three sons of Jo ...
. In 1921 Decazes partnered with
François Dupré
François Louis Jules Dupré (; 3 December 1888 – 26 June 1966) was a French, hotelier, art collector, and owner of the Thoroughbred horse breeding and racing farm, Haras d'Ouilly. He was a grandson of the painter Jules Dupré.
Dupré s ...
who would purchase 100% of Haras d'Ouilly in 1930.
François Dupré would turn Haras d'Ouilly into a powerhouse of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
an racing, running it until his death in 1966 when his widow took over. Anna Dupré continued to race horses until 1977 when she sold her bloodstock to the
Aga Khan IV
Shāh Karim al-Husayni (born 13 December 1936), known by the religious title Mawlānā Hazar Imam by his Ismaili followers and elsewhere as Aga Khan IV, is the 49th and current Imam of Nizari Ismailis, a denomination within Shia Islam. He ha ...
. In 1981, she sold the property to
Jean-Luc Lagardère
Jean-Luc Lagardère (10 February 1928, Aubiet – 14 March 2003, Paris) was a major French businessman, CEO of the Lagardère Group, one of the largest French conglomerates.
Jean-Luc Lagardère was a '' Supelec'' engineer. He began his caree ...
who too was a leading figure in French racing until his death in 2003 after which it was sold to the Aga Khan IV.
References
Pont-d'Ouilly municipal website with the history of Haras d'Ouilly(French language)
French racehorse owners and breeders
Horse farms in France
Buildings and structures in Calvados (department)
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