ENGLISH TEXTS
whom I was lucky enough to know for a long time and who brought us all together. Our childhood was like one big cousin gathering!” A family spirit that endures and unites members of the Head clan whenever a horse connected to the family runs in a major race:“ We follow the race live from all over the world, as my parents are in Spain, where Freddy also likes to spend time, William, Christopher’ s brother, is in Australia, Martine and Charles are in the United States …” The very recent Prix Noailles( Gr. 3), won at ParisLongchamp by Pearled Majesty in Criquette’ s royal blue silks, therefore thrilled the whole clan across all time zones. This fine colt is now heading toward the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club. As a yearling, he was privately purchased by a certain Fernando Laffon Lomba …
BY CÉLINE GUALDE
CHANTILLY THE ENGLISH WAY
BACK TO ARTICLE
The Head family is of English origin. Their ancestors and compatriots contributed greatly to the development and prestige of the Chantilly training center.
In 1830, the July Monarchy brought Louis-Philippe I to power. His son, the Ferdinand Philippe d ' Orléans, was passionate about racing and breeding, and moreover
owned a large stud farm in Meudon. His thoroughbred Beggarman( 1935), although born in England, was the first horse trained in France to win across the Channel, in the Gold Cup at Goodwood in 1840. Following the example of the ruling family, French high society developed a taste for Anglophilia: English culture was admired, along with their love of sport and, of course, their horses. The upper business bourgeoisie- the Stern, Fould, Rothschild families- invested in racing and encouraged the development of a horse industry. In 1833, at the initiative of an Englishman, Lord Henry Seymour, born to a French mother, the Société d’ Encouragement pour l’ Amélioration des races de Chevaux en France was created, along with the first official races. The turf located between the Château de Chantilly and the forest immediately appealed for its quality. The first edition of the French Derby, the Prix du Jockey Club, was held there on April 24, 1836. The development of racing led to that of the Chantilly training center for practical reasons: at the time, competitors needed two stages, with a stop at Écouen, to travel from stables mostly located at Porte Maillot, on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne. In the 1840s, Chantilly thus became the home port of the main owners, who set up their stables there. The English, with their unique expertise in horsemanship, arrived in large numbers to train horses, ride them, and work in the stables. Initially, they were mostly men, but as success followed, women joined them, along with domestic staff- in short, all the components of an English society which, in Chantilly, had its own church, St Peter ' s Church Chantilly, and its own school, created in the 1890s on Rue du Connétable. Between 1834 and 1914, the town’ s population doubled thanks to the presence of this English community, some of whose members made fortunes through racing. As early as 1831, Lord Seymour had“ imported” from England the trainer Thomas Carter to manage his string. Thomas“ Genius” Carter, from one of the most prolific families in English turf, won the first three editions of the Prix du Jockey Club before entering the service of the Rothschild family in a stable at Lamorlaye. In 1836, he was joined by two brothers he took on as apprentices and who would leave their mark on French racing: Tom Jennings and Henry Jennings, aged 13 and 18 respectively. As a jockey, Tom won the first edition of the Prix de Diane in 1843 with Nativa, trained by his brother Henry and carrying the colours of Marc de Beauvau. He is best remembered, however, as the trainer of Gladiateur, nicknamed“ the avenger of Waterloo,” and commemorated with a statue at the Hippodrome de Longchamp. The great bay-
# 18 160