ENGLISH TEXTS
03 THE HEAD DYNASTY:
BY PIERRE CHAMPION
A STORY OF RACING AND BREEDING
Freddy Head’ s success is part of a family dynasty, which also includes his grandfather William, his father Alec, and his sister Christiane. Not to mention that today the next generation is ensured by his children, Christopher and Victoria, themselves trainers. The history of French racing is inseparable from the Head family, which has played a decisive role in it, even influencing breeding directions and mating strategies.
William Head, born in 1890, was, in a way, the pioneer. The son of a leading jumps jockey, he himself followed the same path and established himself as one of the best riders of his time, before becoming an equally accomplished trainer in both flat and jumps racing. William Head thus trained two winners of the Prix de l’ Arc de Triomphe— Le Paillon in 1947, with whom he had won the Grande Course de Haies d’ Auteuil just a few months earlier( sic!), and Bon Mot in 1966— as well as two winners of the Grand Steeplechase de Paris, Symbole in 1942 and Méli Mélo in 1950. He also saddled, among others, two winners of the Prix du Jockey-Club, Le Fabuleux in 1964 and Goodly in 1969, a winner of the Prix de Diane, Stratonice in 1951, three winners of the Poule d’ Essai des Poulains— Mincio in 1960, Adamastor in 1962, and Cambremont in 1965— and a winner of the Grand Prix de Paris, Chaparral in 1969. Eight Grande Courses de Haies d’ Auteuil also appear on his record, including that of Vatelys in 1946, ridden by his son Alec.
Like Father, Like Son Alec Head was born in 1924 and also began his career as a jockey. After suffering a serious fall, he was forced to retire early and became a trainer at just 23 years of age. Supported by major owners— the Aga Khan Studs and Wertheimer— he quickly rose to prominence and dominated major races from 1950 to 1960, in France and England, with horses such as Nuccio(“ Arc” 1952), Vimy(“ King George” 1955), Hafiz II( Champion Stakes 1955), Lavandin( Epsom Derby 1956), Buisson Ardent( Poule d’ Essai des Poulains 1956), Rose Royale( 1,000 Guineas and Champion Stakes 1957), Toro( Poule d’ Essai des Pouliches 1957), Yla( Poule d’ Essai des Pouliches 1958), Saint Crespin(“ Arc” 1959), Taboun( 2,000 Guineas 1959), Ginetta( Poule d’ Essai des Pouliches 1959), Charlottesville( Prix du Jockey-Club and Grand Prix de Paris 1960), among others. After a brief lull, his success returned even stronger in the 1970s, with two more“ Arc” victories thanks to Ivanjica in 1976 and Gold River in 1981, two additional“ Jockey- Club” wins with Roi Lear in 1973 and Val de l’ Orne in 1975, five more Poules d’ Essai— Riverman in 1972, Green Dancer in 1975, and Red Lord in 1976 among the colts, and Ivanjica in 1976 and Dancing Maid in 1978 among the fillies— as well as two Prix de Diane victories with Pistol Packer in 1971 and Reine de Saba in 1978. After that, Alec Head definitively handed over training responsibilities to his daughter Christiane— who performed outstandingly— and devoted himself to what had gradually become his overriding passion: breeding.
“ Jockey, trainer, but above all breeder”— Alec Head, in his own words In 1958, Alec Head acquired, with his father and his brother Peter— another respected professional— the Haras du Quesnay, a historic Normandy breeding establishment located about ten kilometres from Deauville and formerly the stronghold of major American Francophile owners William Kissam Vanderbilt and Arthur Kingsley Macomber. He sought to revive the activity of this prestigious site, damaged by the war and its hardships, yet still magnificent and full of promise. In the preface to the book Haras de Normandie in 2013, Alec Head wrote on this subject:“ The call of breeding was the strongest! I had reached a stage
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