A gift for La Pompadour... and a stud-farm
And also
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A gift for La Pompadour
Pompadour viscount Guy de Lastours raised the first fortress in 1026, on a land his wife Ingaleine de Mallemort gave him.
When the last of the Pompadour lord died in the 18th century, prince of Conti and marquis of La Vallière started to quarrel about the estate.
But king of France Louis XV gave the land to Jeanne Le Normand d'Etioles, his mistress... madame de Pompadour!
But when this lady was tired of her castle, she created a stud farm and came back in Versailles!
The stud farm was born!
Brilliant idea! In 1763, Louis XV decided to develop horse breeding in Limousin, like the famous Le Pin stud farm in Normandy.
So the king officially created the Pompadour stud farm! He put sir du Quesnoy in charge of the stable's command. At the beginning, we had only 6 stallions... for 150 mares!
Then, they brought horses from Spain, England, Italy and Ireland. The horse from Limousin was a very quick and slender mount. Noblemen and courtiers only swore by these animals!
During the French Revolution, in 1790, horses were sold. Among them, we had Mordant (Biting), "10 years old, dappled grey", Bijou (Jewel), "7 years old, chestnut", Pompeux (Pompous), "6 years old, starling grey, Arab horse"...
A report mentioned the castle's state: "cracked walls, rotten wooden floors, the building seems unrepairable."
Did you know there was in the stud farm a fabulous stallion called Derviche? This animal improved the limousine breed. He was bought by a sir de La Grénerie, from castle of la Grénérie (Auvergne). When the farm was restored in 1796, Derviche as other horses get back to La Pompadour castle...
Napoleon I sent Arab stallions when he came back from Egypt: the anglo-arab breed was born in Pompadour farm!