Prince Rose killed in a bombing raid

The battle devastated the stud farms in Normandy, many of which had already suffered under German occupation with prize stallions stolen and taken to Germany.

The intense Allied Bombing during the Falaise Gap battle saw more than 20 studs in the region badly damaged with 399 thoroughbred racehorses killed or disappeared.

It included the famous mare Corrida, the dual winner of the 193637 runnings of the Pric de l’Arc de Triomphe, owned and bred by Marcel Boussac at Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard.

The retreating Germans also took many thoroughbreds with them, but later abandoned them, or ate them.

The Germans also occupied studs to provide homes for soldiers, including the Haras D’Etreham during the occupation.

Patrick Chedeville of Haras du Petit Tellier at Sevigne, near Argentan, recalls some of his grandfather André Chedeville’s memories of the war.

“He told me that the Germans were only interested in ‘A listed’ horses with owner-breeder Marcel Boussac’s top stallion Pharis and Edouard De Rothschild’s Brantome and Eclair Au Chocolat, among the hundreds stolen,” says Chedeville.

After the war Brantome and Pharis returned to stud duties in France, but Éclair De Chocolat was never found along with some other stallions and around 100 broodmares.

One of the most influential racehorses of the last century Prince Rose was standing at the Haras de Petit Tellier.

“My grandfather told me during the bombing an attempt was made to move Prince Rose to a safer place, but the horse refused to enter the different barn and was returned to his normal stable.

“Within a short space of time there was a loud explosion and my grandfather came running out of the house, to find the barn destroyed and Prince Rose mortally wounded.”

Chedeville adds, “A lot of cattle, horses and civilians were killed during the Falaise Gap battle and surrounding region. The stud in Sevigne was not far from the Argentan railway station, which was a main target for the allied bombers that fatal night to disrupt the German’s trying to escape.

“After the war, German prisoners were used to rebuild the damaged studs.”

It was a sad ending for Prince Rose, who had been a great racehorse and was trained in Belgium to win 16 of his 20 races.

Thankfully, the mare Cosquillo, safely carrying to Prince Rose, had been shipped to Ireland and her foal, subsequently named Princequillo, was sent to race in the US where he won several big staying races, including the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

He went on to become leading sire twice in 1957 and 58, while his mating with Imperatrice produced the filly Somethingroyal, the dam of Secretariat.

Princequillo was also champion broodmare sire in the US eight times between 1976 and 1986, and in Britain and Ireland in 1971.

Prince Rose through Princequillo is also the grandsire of Sham, Seattle Slew, Mill Reef, Fort Mercy, Prince John, A.P. Indy, Cigar, Zenyatta, John Henry, California Chrome and American Pharoah.

In France, Prince Rose’s son Prince Chevalier won the Prix du Jockey-Club in 1946 and Prince Chevalier sired Charlottesville to win the Classic in 1960.

While Prince Rose also bred Prince Bio, the sire of Le Petit Prince; the Jockey-Club winner in 1954.

While Prince Rose also bred Prince Bio, the sire of Le Petit Prince; the Jockey-Club winner in 1954.

Prince Rose’s stallion career was cut short by allied bombing, –yet in spite of that, he still became one of the most influentia for middle-distance breeding during the 20th century.

Who knows what else he could have achieved?