By Emma Berry
Back in 2010, La Route des Etalons was launched at a time when the French stallion ranks were lacking a real star name. Now in its seventh year, the popularity of the Normandy open house weekend has grown in accordance with a pronounced revival of the stallion market in the country, with names such as Le Havre (Ire) (Noverre), Siyouni (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) and Kendargent (Fr) (Kendor {Fr}) topping the billing and backed up by some exciting recent retirees.
Charm Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) spent his debut stud season at Tweenhills Farm in Gloucestershire and has for this year moved to the Aga Khan's Bonneval Stud to join Makfi (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Siyouni and Dalakhani (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}). Also new to France this year after spending two seasons at Cheveley Park Stud is Intello (Ger) (Galileo {Ire}), who is at the Head family's Haras du Quesnay.
Dabirsim (Fr) carried all before him in 2011, when his unbeaten five-race streak included the G1 Darley Prix Morny and G1 Qatar Jean-Luc Lagardere. The son of Hat Trick (Jpn) became the busiest stallion in Germany upon his retirement to Gestut Karlshof in 2014 but he has returned to the scene of his great racing victories to join Eric L'Hermite's burgeoning team of stallions at Haras de Grandcamp.
Darley's French sires have long been resident at Haras du Logis, where the numbers have swelled this year with the arrival of Dubawi's son Hunter's Light (GB).
Hunter's Light is one of four stallions in the new Darley Club, which–for an up-front payment of one year's nomination and a commitment to use the same stallion in his second and third seasons–buys the breeder a lifetime breeding right. His fellow newcomer is the Australian shuttler Sidestep (Aus), a champion juvenile son of Exceed And Excel (Aus).
Despite ceaseless rain throughout Saturday, breeders were out in force at the 24 stallion farms open across the region, with an increasing number having made the trip from Britain and Ireland.
“It's noticeable how many more British and Irish breeders are using French stallions and leaving their mares here,” said Julian Ince, who runs Haras du Logis and reported a constant stream of visitors on the first of the two open days for his seven stallions.
Haras de Bouqetot has emerged as a thriving stallion station since its purchase by Sheikh Joaan's Al Shaqab operation in 2013.
Of its four young French-based stallions, Planteur (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and Style Vendome (Fr) (Anabaa) both have first yearlings at the sales later this year, while Olympic Glory (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) has six of his first crop of foals on the ground to date and, like this time last year, is already fully booked for the forthcoming season. The Wow Signal (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) completes the line-up and is about to stand his first season in Europe after a Southern Hemisphere turn at Swettenham Stud in Australia.
Bouquetot's attractive new stallion yard at the 120-hectare farm near Clarbec was also busy with visitors. “We've had around 300 people here today,” said Nominations and Marketing Manager Audrey Leyval. “As well as showing the stallions we took the opportunity to show breeders some of our yearlings by Planteur and Style Vendome. It's a really important weekend for us and I've found that this year more than before breeders have come here to talk to me about the stallions and confirm their bookings.”
Not officially a part of La Route des Etalons this year, largely because of its distance from the Normandy heartland, is Henri and Antonia Devin's historic Haras du Mesnil, which will be the subject of a longer feature in these pages in the coming week.
The farm near Le Mans is noteworthy for many reasons, but the highlight of the day for this TDN visitor was the chance to pay homage to France's oldest active sire, the mighty Turgeon (Caro). Now 30, the snowy white stallion still has a spring in his step and is about to continue his stud duties after covering 52 mares last season and getting the vast majority of them in foal. Many of his daughters remain in the family's broodmare band and the super condition of the veteran sire is testament to the care he has received during his long tenure at Mesnil.
La Route des Etalons continues Sunday, with a few of the travelers perhaps a little more bleary-eyed following a reception for overseas breeders hosted by the FRBC in the Casino Barriere de Deauville.
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