François Dupré
Encyclopedia
François Dupré was a French
, hotel
ier, art collector, and owner of the thoroughbred
horse breeding
and racing
farm, Haras d'Ouilly
.
Dupré served in the French Army
during World War I
. Seriously wounded during battle, he was hospitalized for a considerable length of time. He went on to a career in business that saw him become the owner of two luxury hotels in Paris
, the prestigious Hotel George V, Paris
and the Hotel Plaza Athenée
. In addition, during the 1930s Dupré would acquire the Hotel Ritz
in Montreal
, Canada
. In 1937, while traveling by passenger liner
across the Atlantic, Dupré met twenty-five-year-old Anna Stefanna Nagy who would become his second wife.
, a Thoroughbred
racehorse enthusiast who owned the Haras d'Ouilly
stud
farm in Pont-d'Ouilly
, Calvados
. Beginning in 1921, the two partnered in several racehorses and in 1930 Dupré purchased the Haras d'Ouilly property. He became one of Europe's leading breeders and owners, winning numerous important conditions races
in France and England
. His horse Tantième
had back-to-back wins in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
in 1950 and '51, and in 1963 Relko
won the Epsom Derby
.
Races in England:
Races in the United States:
François Dupré died in 1966. His widow Anna ran the racing operation until 1977 when she sold the entire bloodstock for £1.3 million to the Aga Khan IV
. The Dupré's famous colors of gray with a pink cap were taken over by Jean-Luc Lagardère
who would buy Haras d'Ouilly
in 1981.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
ier, art collector, and owner of the thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse breeding
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
and racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
farm, Haras d'Ouilly
Haras d'Ouilly
The Haras d'Ouilly is a renowned horse breeding farm in Pont-d'Ouilly, Calvados in the Basse-Normandie region of France established in the 19th century....
.
Dupré served in the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Seriously wounded during battle, he was hospitalized for a considerable length of time. He went on to a career in business that saw him become the owner of two luxury hotels in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, the prestigious Hotel George V, Paris
Hotel George V, Paris
Hôtel George-V is a famous luxury five-star hotel set just off the Champs-Élysées on Avenue George V, in Paris, France. It is named, like the street in which it is situated, after King George V.-History:...
and the Hotel Plaza Athenée
Plaza Athénée
The Plaza Athénée is a hotel in Paris, France. It is located at 25 Avenue Montaigne, near the Champs Elysées and the Eiffel Tower. It is part of the Dorchester Collection group of international luxury hotels....
. In addition, during the 1930s Dupré would acquire the Hotel Ritz
Ritz-Carlton Montreal
The Ritz-Carlton Montréal is a 229 room luxury hotel situated at 1228 Sherbrooke Street West in Montréal, Quebec. This Montreal property is not part of the widely-known Ritz-Carlton hotel chain. It has forty-eight suites including a "Royal Suite" and a "Presidential Suite"...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In 1937, while traveling by passenger liner
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
across the Atlantic, Dupré met twenty-five-year-old Anna Stefanna Nagy who would become his second wife.
Thoroughbred horse racing
Dupré was friends with Duke Louis DecazesLouis Jean, duc Decazes
Louis Jean Victor Sévère Decazes de Glücksberg, 4th Duc Decazes and 4th Hertig af Glücksbierg was a French businessman and Thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder.Louis Jean Decazes was born in Paris...
, a Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse enthusiast who owned the Haras d'Ouilly
Haras d'Ouilly
The Haras d'Ouilly is a renowned horse breeding farm in Pont-d'Ouilly, Calvados in the Basse-Normandie region of France established in the 19th century....
stud
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
farm in Pont-d'Ouilly
Pont-d'Ouilly
Pont-d'Ouilly is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Pont-d'Ouilly is home to the famous Haras d'Ouilly, a Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding business currently owned by the Aga Khan IV.-History:...
, Calvados
Calvados
The French department of Calvados is part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the English Channel coast...
. Beginning in 1921, the two partnered in several racehorses and in 1930 Dupré purchased the Haras d'Ouilly property. He became one of Europe's leading breeders and owners, winning numerous important conditions races
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
in France and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His horse Tantième
Tantieme
Tantième was a French Thoroughbred horse racing champion and prominent sire who twice won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, France's most prestigious horse race. He also won several other important conditions races including the Grand Critérium in 1949, the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Prix Lupin and...
had back-to-back wins in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
in 1950 and '51, and in 1963 Relko
Relko
Relko was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1963 Epsom Derby. A grandson of Tantieme, he was owned by French hotelier, François Dupré and bred at his stud farm in Pont-d'Ouilly in the Basse-Normandie region....
won the Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
.
Major horse races won
Races in France:- Prix de l'Arc de TriomphePrix de l'Arc de TriompheThe Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
- TantièmeTantiemeTantième was a French Thoroughbred horse racing champion and prominent sire who twice won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, France's most prestigious horse race. He also won several other important conditions races including the Grand Critérium in 1949, the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Prix Lupin and...
- Tantième
- Prix de l'Abbaye de LongchampPrix de l'Abbaye de LongchampThe Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.-History:The Prix de l'Abbaye was one of two major...
- Texana (1957)
- Fortino (1962)
- Texanita (1963 & 1964)
- Grand Prix de ParisGrand Prix de ParisThe Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...
- Danseur (1966)
- Grand Prix de Saint-CloudGrand Prix de Saint-CloudThe Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June.-History:...
- Match (1962)
- Poule d'Essai des PoulichesPoule d'Essai des PoulichesThe Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, sometimes referred to as the French 1,000 Guineas, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies...
- Virgule (1954)
- Solitude (1961)
- La Sega (1962)
- Bella PaolaBella PaolaBella Paola was a racehorse owned and bred by François Dupré and trained by François Mathet. She was the second best two-year-old in France with three successes including the Grand Critérium – only her stablemate Texana was rated superior to her...
(1968) raced by Madame Dupré - Koblenza (1969) raced by Madame Dupré
- Poule d'Essai des PoulainsPoule d'Essai des PoulainsThe Poule d'Essai des Poulains, sometimes referred to as the French 2,000 Guineas, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts...
- RelkoRelkoRelko was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1963 Epsom Derby. A grandson of Tantieme, he was owned by French hotelier, François Dupré and bred at his stud farm in Pont-d'Ouilly in the Basse-Normandie region....
(1963)
- Relko
- Prix du Jockey ClubPrix du Jockey ClubThe Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
- Reliance (1965)
- Rheffic (1971) raced by Madame Dupré
- Prix NoaillesPrix NoaillesThe Prix Noailles is a Group 2 flat horse race in France which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in April.-History:...
- Tanerko (1956)
- MatchMatch IIMatch II was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who won major races in England, France and the United States and who was voted Horse of the Year in England...
(1961)
- Prix Royal-OakPrix Royal-OakThe Prix Royal-Oak is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 3,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late October.-History:The event was established in 1861, and it was initially...
- Match (1961)
Races in England:
- 1,000 Guineas (Newmarket RacecourseNewmarket RacecourseThe town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
)- Bella PaolaBella PaolaBella Paola was a racehorse owned and bred by François Dupré and trained by François Mathet. She was the second best two-year-old in France with three successes including the Grand Critérium – only her stablemate Texana was rated superior to her...
(1968) raced by Madame Dupré
- Bella Paola
- Epsom DerbyEpsom DerbyThe Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
- RelkoRelkoRelko was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1963 Epsom Derby. A grandson of Tantieme, he was owned by French hotelier, François Dupré and bred at his stud farm in Pont-d'Ouilly in the Basse-Normandie region....
(1963)
- Relko
- Coronation CupCoronation CupThe Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
- RelkoRelkoRelko was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1963 Epsom Derby. A grandson of Tantieme, he was owned by French hotelier, François Dupré and bred at his stud farm in Pont-d'Ouilly in the Basse-Normandie region....
(1964)
- Relko
- King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
- Match (1962)
Races in the United States:
- Washington, D.C. International Stakes
- Match (1962)
François Dupré died in 1966. His widow Anna ran the racing operation until 1977 when she sold the entire bloodstock for £1.3 million to the Aga Khan IV
Aga Khan IV
Prince Karim, Aga Khan IV, NPk, NI, KBE, CC, GCC, GCIH, GCM is the 49th and current Imam of the Shia Imami Nizari Ismaili Muslims. He has held this position under the title of Aga Khan since July 11, 1957, when, at the age of 20, he succeeded his grandfather, Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan...
. The Dupré's famous colors of gray with a pink cap were taken over by Jean-Luc Lagardère
Jean-Luc Lagardère
Jean-Luc Lagardère was a major French businessman, CEO of the Lagardere Group, one of the largest French conglomerates....
who would buy Haras d'Ouilly
Haras d'Ouilly
The Haras d'Ouilly is a renowned horse breeding farm in Pont-d'Ouilly, Calvados in the Basse-Normandie region of France established in the 19th century....
in 1981.