Claiborne Farm

Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Farm in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since.^[1]

Owners

• Arthur B. Hancock (1875–1957)
• Arthur B. "Bull" Hancock, Jr. (1910–1972)
• Seth W. Hancock (b. 1949)

Arthur B. Hancock III (b. 1943) owns Stone Farm, a breeding operation nearby.

Arthur B. Hancock imported breeding stock from Europe that made Claiborne Farm an international leader in breeding, sales, and racing. He bred Vigil, the 1923 Preakness Stakes winner. Among his famous sires was Sir Gallahad III, purchased from France, who was the leading sire in 1930, 1933, 1934, and 1940 and who sired 1930 U.S. Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox. Claiborne Farm was part of a 1936 consortium that imported Blenheim II from England and in 1944 purchased Princequillo, who became the leading U.S. sire for 1957 and 1958.

Claiborne Farm won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder in 1979 and again in 1984. It has been visited twice by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who owns racehorses herself. The farm was home to all the major horses owned by the Phipps family, including Orb, the 2013 Kentucky Derby winner. Secretariat was syndicated by Seth Hancock for breeding purposes and stood at stud at Claiborne Farm from the conclusion of his racing career at the end of 1973 until his death in 1989.

Stallions as of September 2013 include: Algorithms, Arch, Blame, Data Link, Eddington, First Samurai, Flatter, Horse Greeley, Parading, Stroll, Trappe Shot and War Front.^[2]

Racing historian Edward L. Bowen considers that Claiborne Farm is one of the most influential American breeding operation, due to the many breeders who benefited from its horses and the length of time that influence has lasted.^[3]

Some of the horses buried at Claiborne Farm are:

• Ambiorix (1946–1975) - Leading sire 1961
• Blenheim II (1927–1958)
• Bold Ruler (1954–1971), Leading sire 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967. 1968, 1969, 1973
• Buckpasser (1963–1978)
• Double Jay (1944–1972)
• Gallant Fox (1927–1954)
• Gamely (1964–1975)
• Hoist The Flag (1968–1980)
• Johnstown (1936–1950)
• Mr. Prospector (1970–1999), Leading sire 1987, 1988
• Nasrullah (1940–1959), Leading sire 1955, 1956, 1959, 1960, 1962
• Nijinsky II (1967–1992)
• Princequillo (1940–1964), Leading sire 1957, 1958
• Pulpit (1994–2012)
• Riva Ridge (1969–1985)
• Round Table (1954–1987), Leading sire 1972
• Secretariat (1970–1989)
• Swale (1981–1984)
• War Cloud (1915–1923)

Some of the horses buried at Claiborne's Marchmont Farm division:

• Ack Ack (1966–1990)
• Chatterton (1919–1933), Leading sire 1932
• Forli (1963–1988)
• Christmas Past (1979–2008), American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly (1982)
• Conquistador Cielo (1979–2002)
• Damascus (1964–1995)
• Danzig (1977–2006), Leading sire (1991, 1992, 1993)
• Easy Goer (1986–1994)
• Moccasin (1963–1986)
• Sir Gallahad III (1920–1949), Leading sire 1930, 1933, 1934, 1940
• Sir Ivor (1965–1995)
• Tom Rolfe (1962–1989)
• Unbridled (1987–2001)

References

Notes

Further reading

• Miller, Haven (Spring 2002). "UK Ag Grad Among World's Top Thoroughbred Breeders". The Ag Magazine. Lexington: University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. 
• Oakford, Glenye Cain (July 31, 2010). "Claiborne at 100" (PDF). Daily Racing Form. New York: Daily Racing Form LLC. 
• Patton, Janet (July 28, 2012). "At fabled Claiborne Farm, yearling training is kindergarten for horses". Lexington Herald-Leader. Lexington: The McClatchy Company. 

External links

• Official website

Coordinates: 38°11′25.5″N 84°14′42.3″W / 38.190417°N 84.245083°W / 38.190417; -84.245083