haras d’étréham Photos courtesy of Haras d’Etreham
N
icolas de Chambure is a young man running one of Europe’s most important commercial stud farms, but he was younger still when he took over the reins of the family stud Haras d’étréham from his uncle Marc de Chambure in January 2011. The same year he bought a stallion prospect and a filly out of training, both at very much the lower end of their respective markets. The pair, Wootton Bassett and Darkova, have proved to be hugely profitable investments, who have helped to give étréham a new boost and the opportunity to consolidate its position as a leader in the European and international market. Nicolas is the fourth generation of his family to run the stud, which was bought by his great-grandfather Hubert de Chambure at the end of the 1940s. étréham is in the Bessin region of Normandy, close to the city of Bayeux and to the sea, only a few miles from Omaha Beach. Any visitor to the stud is struck by the beauty of the miles-long avenue, which zig-zags through pastures from the gates to the heart of the stud, and the Château with its proximity of the sea. It may be out of sight, but its scent and influence on the weather is always there. His grandfather Roland de Chambure took over the farm at the beginning of the 1950s and made étréham a name in the international breeding world. Roland de Chambure bred champions on his own and in partnership with Alec Head, and he stood champion stallions, notably Lyphard and Luthier. After his sudden death the dispersal of his partnership with Head, the Ecurie Aland, was of one the sales of the decade at Newmarket. Roland de Chambure’s son Marc took over and during his time in charge the stud bred and sold as yearlings Urban Sea and King’s Best and, during what was a difficult time for French racing and breeding, étréham dominated the Deauville August Sale. “I was only three years old when my grandfather Roland died in 1988,” explains Nicolas, “and so I have no direct memories of him. In 2010, Marc decided to take up a position with Arqana and so the family decided that I would take over from him running the stud.” Nicolas de Chambure’s father Eric is an
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Nicolas de Chambure took over the management of Haras d’étréham in 2011 – that same year he bought Wootton Bassett and Darkova, the sire and dam of Almanzor
