A prestigious Norman stud farm was for sale. Of the “big French bosses» were on the case but in the end, it was a foreigner from the Middle East who won. This is Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi. A name that is not foreign to some football fans. He is in fact the owner of the Manchester City club, one of the major clubs in the English championship. As for the stud farm, it is just as prestigious because it is one of the largest in the world: Fresnay-le-Buffard (Orne), owned for 45 years by the Greek shipowner Stravros Niarchos and then his family following his death in 1996.
Located in Neuvy-au-Houlme, less than 50 kilometers south of Caen (Calvados), this exceptional estate has seen seven jockeys win the illustrious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. The Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates will have a setting of 240 hectares (including 205 hectares of pastures and 12 hectares of parks) to which must be added 85 hectares of an adjacent property (“La Haute Côte”) and a 18th century castle, more than 640 m² spread over four levels and completely renovated in 2015.
A sale for 26.8 million euros
The property also includes two other “luxurious” residences – “La Haute Côte” of 525 m² and “La Belle Étoile” of 235 m² – as well as 23 accommodations for guests and staff. The stud farm was also expanded: land, stables and a training track were added to the estate. The paddocks are therefore equipped with stables comprising around 200 boxes located on the main property.
-The new owners have a “sumptuous historic residence and a world-renowned equestrian facility, worthy of a “Wellington International” (city in Florida recognized as the world capital of horse riding)”, according to Cyril Maupas, director of the Normandy offices of Sotheby's (Deauville, Pays d'Auge, Rouen and Bayeux), in charge of the real estate sale. And they put a price on it: 26.8 million euros. Or the price requested by the sellers, as confirmed to Le Figaro, the real estate agent. A drop in the ocean for Sheikh Mansour, whose fortune is estimated at 30 billion dollars. Consequence: the sale was concluded in less than four months.
