Beatrice Mills Forbes, 8th Countess of Granard
Encyclopedia
Beatrice Mills, OBE
(1883 – 30 January 1972) was an American
-born heiress. The daughter of the very wealthy Ogden Mills
, she was a twin to Gladys
, and brother to Ogden
. In 1909, she married Bernard Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard
with whom she had four children. Daughter Moira married Count Rossi of Switzerland
and Eileen married the 5th Marquess of Bute
.
With her marriage, Beatrice Mills would be known as Countess and/or Lady Granard. Her husband's wealth was limited and she provided the funds to finish restoring the family's historic Castleforbes in Newtownforbes
, County Longford
, Ireland
. Their principal residence was at Forbes House, Halkin Street, SW1 in London
plus a residence at 73 Rue de Varenne, Paris
, France
she would inherit from her father.
In 1920, Beatrice Mills Forbes was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
.
in Staatsburg, New York
. Her father owned Thoroughbred
racehorses
in the United States and in France
in partnership with Lord Derby
. Beatrice's sister Gladys and her brother Ogden would establish Wheatley Stable
that would become one of the preeminent Thoughbred racing and breeding operations in the United States.
Beatrice's husband, Bernard, was Master of the Horse whose duties for King George V
included overseer of the Royal Stables
and Stud
. On January 29, 1929, Beatrice's father died. As part of her inheritance she received his stable of Thoroughbreds in France. That year, she led all owners in purses earned. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/821239502.html?dids=821239502:821239502&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=May+20%2C+1929&author=&pub=Hartford+Courant&desc=French+Turf+Honors+Go+to+Lady+Granard&pqatl=google
In 1933, her horse, Cappiello, won the Prix Lupin
and the prestigious Grand Prix de Paris
at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00F1EF6395C16738DDDAF0A94DE405B838FF1D3 Among her other racing successes, Lady Granard's horses won the Prix Jacques le Marois
in 1937 and 1967. In 1964 her horse Pourparler won the British Classic, the 1,000 Guineas Stakes.
The most notable horse bred and raced by her siblings Wheatley Stable
in the United States was Bold Ruler
, a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
inductee and an eight-time Leading sire in North America
. Gladys and Ogden bred Bold Ruler to the Champion racing mare, Misty Morn
. The result of the mating was Bold Lad
, a colt
born in 1962 that earned American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt honors. Bold Ruler sired a second colt in 1964 by a different mare that was given the same Bold Lad name. Bold Lad II
was bred by Lady Granard and raced in England and Ireland where it too won Champion Two-Year-Old Colt honors. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00D1EF73D55117B93C7A8178DD85F428685F9
A widow for more than twenty-three years, Lady Granard died at her Paris residence in 1972.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1883 – 30 January 1972) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born heiress. The daughter of the very wealthy Ogden Mills
Ogden Mills
Ogden Mills was an American financier and Thoroughbred racehorse owner.-Life and career:Born in Millbrae, California, he was the son of Jane Templeton Cunningham and her husband Darius Ogden Mills, a highly successful banker and investor who in 1910 left Odgen Mills and his sister an estate valued...
, she was a twin to Gladys
Gladys Mills Phipps
Gladys Livingston Mills Phipps was an United States socialite, sportsperson, and a thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder who began the Phipps family dynasty in American horse racing...
, and brother to Ogden
Ogden L. Mills
Ogden Livingston Mills was an American businessman and politician.-Biography:The son of Ogden Mills and Ruth T. Livingston, he had twin sisters Beatrice Mills and Gladys Livingston Mills. Odgen L. Mills was the grandson of Darius O...
. In 1909, she married Bernard Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard
Bernard Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard
Bernard Arthur William Patrick Hastings Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard KP, GCVO, PC , known as Viscount Forbes from 1874 to 1889, was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Liberal politician.-Background:...
with whom she had four children. Daughter Moira married Count Rossi of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Eileen married the 5th Marquess of Bute
John Crichton-Stuart, 5th Marquess of Bute
John Crichton-Stuart, 5th Marquess of Bute was the son of John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquess of Bute and Augusta Bellingham....
.
With her marriage, Beatrice Mills would be known as Countess and/or Lady Granard. Her husband's wealth was limited and she provided the funds to finish restoring the family's historic Castleforbes in Newtownforbes
Newtownforbes
Newtownforbes is a village in County Longford, Ireland. It was historically called Lisbrack, an anglicisation of the Irish name.The N4 National primary route passes through the Main Street of the village, which is situated 4 km northwest of Longford Town.Newtownforbes is a thriving village...
, County Longford
County Longford
County Longford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford.Longford County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Their principal residence was at Forbes House, Halkin Street, SW1 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
plus a residence at 73 Rue de Varenne, 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...
, France
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...
she would inherit from her father.
In 1920, Beatrice Mills Forbes was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.
Thoroughbred racing
Beatrice Mills was raised around horses at her family's Livingston MansionStaatsburgh State Historic Site
The Staatsburgh State Historic Site preserves a Beaux-Arts mansion designed by McKim, Mead, and White and the home's surrounding landscape in the hamlet ofStaatsburg, Dutchess County, New York, USA...
in Staatsburg, New York
Staatsburg, New York
Staatsburg is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 911 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
. Her father owned 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...
racehorses
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...
in the United States and in France
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...
in partnership with Lord Derby
Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby
Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC, KGStJ, JP , known as Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, diplomat and racehorse owner. He was twice Secretary of State for War and also served as British Ambassador to...
. Beatrice's sister Gladys and her brother Ogden would establish Wheatley Stable
Wheatley Stable
Wheatley Stable was the nom de course for the thoroughbred horse racing partnership formed by Gladys Mills Phipps and her brother, Ogden L. Mills. The horses were raised at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky.-History:...
that would become one of the preeminent Thoughbred racing and breeding operations in the United States.
Beatrice's husband, Bernard, was Master of the Horse whose duties for King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
included overseer of the Royal Stables
Royal Mews
A Royal Mews is a mews of the British Royal Family. In London the Royal Mews has occupied two main sites, formerly at Charing Cross, and since the 1820s at Buckingham Palace....
and Stud
Stud farm
A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry, is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding" Historically, documentation of the breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to the...
. On January 29, 1929, Beatrice's father died. As part of her inheritance she received his stable of Thoroughbreds in France. That year, she led all owners in purses earned. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/821239502.html?dids=821239502:821239502&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=May+20%2C+1929&author=&pub=Hartford+Courant&desc=French+Turf+Honors+Go+to+Lady+Granard&pqatl=google
In 1933, her horse, Cappiello, won the Prix Lupin
Prix Lupin
The Prix Lupin was a Group 1 flat horse race in France which was open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It was run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,100 metres , and it was scheduled to take place each year in May....
and the prestigious Grand Prix de Paris
Grand Prix de Paris
The 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:...
at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00F1EF6395C16738DDDAF0A94DE405B838FF1D3 Among her other racing successes, Lady Granard's horses won the Prix Jacques le Marois
Prix Jacques le Marois
The Prix Jacques Le Marois is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred colts and fillies aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....
in 1937 and 1967. In 1964 her horse Pourparler won the British Classic, the 1,000 Guineas Stakes.
The most notable horse bred and raced by her siblings Wheatley Stable
Wheatley Stable
Wheatley Stable was the nom de course for the thoroughbred horse racing partnership formed by Gladys Mills Phipps and her brother, Ogden L. Mills. The horses were raised at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky.-History:...
in the United States was Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse.Bred by the Wheatley Stable of Gladys Mills Phipps, Bold Ruler was foaled on April 6, 1954 at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky to Nasrullah and Miss Disco by Discovery...
, a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
inductee and an eight-time Leading sire in North America
Leading sire in North America
The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the year...
. Gladys and Ogden bred Bold Ruler to the Champion racing mare, Misty Morn
Misty Morn
Misty Morn was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and owned by Gladys Mills Phipps' Wheatley Stable, at age three Misty Morn broke the Jamaica Racetrack track record en route to winning the 1955 Gallant Fox Handicap. The filly ended up the year as the U.S...
. The result of the mating was Bold Lad
Bold Lad
Bold Lad was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred and raced by Gladys Phipps and her brother Ogden L. Mills under their Wheatley Stable banner. His sire was eight time Leading sire in North America, Bold Ruler and his dam was the racing mare Misty Morn,Trained by Bill Winfrey,...
, a colt
Colt (horse)
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age....
born in 1962 that earned American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt honors. Bold Ruler sired a second colt in 1964 by a different mare that was given the same Bold Lad name. Bold Lad II
Bold Lad II
Bold Lad II was a Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by American-born Beatrice Mills Forbes, 8th Countess of Granard, sister of Gladys Mills Phipps and Ogden L. Mills who owned his sire, Bold Ruler...
was bred by Lady Granard and raced in England and Ireland where it too won Champion Two-Year-Old Colt honors. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00D1EF73D55117B93C7A8178DD85F428685F9
A widow for more than twenty-three years, Lady Granard died at her Paris residence in 1972.