H. Eugene Leigh
Encyclopedia
Hiram Eugene Leigh was an American
Thoroughbred
racehorse trainer
/owner
and breeder
who had a highly successful career in the United States as well as in Europe
.
Born in Taylorville, Illinois
, he was known by his middle name, Eugene, or as "Gene." In the 1870s, thirteen-year-old Leigh became involved in Quarter Horse
racing on bush track
s in his native Illinois. After learning to condition Thoroughbreds for flat racing
he set himself up as a trainer in a partnership with jockey Tom Kiley. Leigh was successful enough that in 1884 he was hired as the trainer of a major racing stable in St. Louis, Missouri
owned by Col. Robert C. Pate.
By the early 1890s, Eugene Leigh had established himself as an important owner and trainer and in 1894 won the Kentucky Derby
with Chant
. He acquired property at Yarnallton
, Kentucky
where he established La Belle Stud farm but sold it in 1897 to Col. Milton Young for $101 an acre then bought it back in 1899 for $24 an acre. The December 4, 1898 issue of the New York Times reported that going into the 1899 racing season, Eugene Leigh had the largest stable in the United States. In 1900, Leigh earned his second win in an American Classic Race, capturing the Belmont Stakes
with his colt, Ildrim
.
and other racetracks in New Jersey
, However, legislation passed by conservative
politicians in 1894 banned betting on races which resulted in the closure of the State's racetracks. Conservative forces in the State of New York
wanted similar legislation and through 1895 Leigh was optimistic about the future of racing. Eventually the growing possibility of a ban on betting, along with personal financial setbacks from heavy gambling, saw Eugene Leigh make the decision to relocate to Europe
for the 1901 season.
In England
, Leigh established a racing stable at Foxhill, a village west of Swindon
in Wiltshire county
. In 1902, he purchased the broodmare Merry Token and sold her to August Belmont, Jr.
in New York. Bred to Belmont's Rock Sand
, Merry Token produced Mahubah
who became the dam of the legendary Man O'War
.
Eugene Leigh began racing in France
where he rented a château
near the Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse
. There, he managed a stable of more than two hundred horses that was the most modern of its time. Credited with improving the wellbeing of his horses, Leigh was responsible for introducing lightweight horseshoe
s into French racing. Dubbed by French racing fans as "le sorcier de Maisons-Laffitte" (the Wizard of Maisons-Laffitte), in May 1904 the French Humane Society
awarded Eugene Leigh a prize and a gold medal for the humane manner in which he handled and cared for his horses.
Eugene Leigh would live in France through the first two plus years of World War I
returning occasionally to the United States to purchase bloodstock.
He and his family relocated to the United States in early 1917 where he took over as manager of the thirty-two-horse stable of Edward B. McLean
, owner of the Washington Post newspaper. Not long after the end of the War, Eugene Leigh returned to France where he became manager and trainer for the racing stable owned by Pierre Wertheimer
. For Wertheimer, Leigh's most famous horse was Épinard
, called by France Galop
the fastest horse to be bred in France.
Eugene Leigh died at Maisons-Laffitte
on December 10, 1937 at age seventy-seven. He was survived by his wife and four daughters including Vera
who, because of her ability to speak the French language
flawlessly, joined the British SOE
spy agency during World War II
. Vera Leigh was captured in France and taken to Natzweiler-Struthof
extermination camp where she was executed in 1944.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
/owner
Ownership
Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over property, which may be an object, land/real estate or intellectual property. Ownership involves multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different parties. The concept of ownership has...
and breeder
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...
who had a highly successful career in the United States as well as in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Born in Taylorville, Illinois
Taylorville, Illinois
Taylorville is a city in Christian County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,246 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat and largest city in Christian County.-Geography:Taylorville is located at ....
, he was known by his middle name, Eugene, or as "Gene." In the 1870s, thirteen-year-old Leigh became involved in Quarter Horse
American Quarter Horse
The American Quarter Horse is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name came from its ability to outdistance other breeds of horses in races of a quarter mile or less; some individuals have been clocked at speeds up to 55 mph...
racing on bush track
Bush track
Bush track is a term used in horse racing to describe unsanctioned, informal horse races run in rural areas of the United States and southern Canada. Quarter horses, ridden by amateur jockeys, are raced on makeshift tracks, often set up in the field where the horses are pastured using barrels or...
s in his native Illinois. After learning to condition Thoroughbreds for flat racing
Flat racing
Flat racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing which is run over a level track at a predetermined distance. It differs from steeplechase racing which is run over hurdles...
he set himself up as a trainer in a partnership with jockey Tom Kiley. Leigh was successful enough that in 1884 he was hired as the trainer of a major racing stable in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
owned by Col. Robert C. Pate.
By the early 1890s, Eugene Leigh had established himself as an important owner and trainer and in 1894 won the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
with Chant
Chant (horse)
Chant was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1894 Kentucky Derby, Phoenix Stakes, and Clark Handicap. He was related through his damsire, King Alfonso, to Kentucky Derby winners Fonso and Joe Cotton and through his sire, Falsetto, to His Eminence and Sir Huon .Chant was sold in...
. He acquired property at Yarnallton
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
where he established La Belle Stud farm but sold it in 1897 to Col. Milton Young for $101 an acre then bought it back in 1899 for $24 an acre. The December 4, 1898 issue of the New York Times reported that going into the 1899 racing season, Eugene Leigh had the largest stable in the United States. In 1900, Leigh earned his second win in an American Classic Race, capturing the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
with his colt, Ildrim
Ildrim (horse)
Ildrim was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1900 Belmont Stakes at Morris Park Racecourse in The Bronx, New York under future U.S...
.
Move to Europe
Eugene Leigh had met with his first great success at Monmouth ParkMonmouth Park Racetrack
Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.Monmouth Park's marquee event...
and other racetracks in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, However, legislation passed by conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
politicians in 1894 banned betting on races which resulted in the closure of the State's racetracks. Conservative forces in the State of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
wanted similar legislation and through 1895 Leigh was optimistic about the future of racing. Eventually the growing possibility of a ban on betting, along with personal financial setbacks from heavy gambling, saw Eugene Leigh make the decision to relocate to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for the 1901 season.
In 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...
, Leigh established a racing stable at Foxhill, a village west of Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
in Wiltshire county
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. In 1902, he purchased the broodmare Merry Token and sold her to August Belmont, Jr.
August Belmont, Jr.
August Belmont, Jr. was an American financier, the builder of New York's Belmont Park racetrack, and a major owner/breeder of thoroughbred racehorses.-Early life:...
in New York. Bred to Belmont's Rock Sand
Rock Sand
Rock Sand was a brown Thoroughbred race horse who was a very good young galloper, winning six of his seven starts. Always showing great courage he won the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, St. Leger Stakes and Epsom Derby which earned him the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.He was a beautifully conformed...
, Merry Token produced Mahubah
Mahubah
Mahubah was an American bred Thoroughbred racemare that was noted for producing the outstanding racehorse, Man o' War.-Pedigree:She was a bay mare that was foaled in Kentucky and was owned and bred by August Belmont, Jr...
who became the dam of the legendary Man O'War
Man O' War
Man O' War, man o' war or manowar may refer to:* Man-of-war, a warship* Man of war for uses with this spelling - Places :...
.
Eugene Leigh began racing 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...
where he rented a château
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
near the Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse
Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse
The Hippodrome de Maisons-Laffitte at 1 avenue de la Pelouse in the northwestern Parisian suburb of Maisons-Laffitte in France is a turf horse racing facility and track for Thoroughbred flat racing...
. There, he managed a stable of more than two hundred horses that was the most modern of its time. Credited with improving the wellbeing of his horses, Leigh was responsible for introducing lightweight horseshoe
Horseshoe
A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...
s into French racing. Dubbed by French racing fans as "le sorcier de Maisons-Laffitte" (the Wizard of Maisons-Laffitte), in May 1904 the French Humane Society
Humane Society
A humane society may be a group that aims to stop human or animal suffering due to cruelty or other reasons, although in many countries, it is now used mostly for societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals...
awarded Eugene Leigh a prize and a gold medal for the humane manner in which he handled and cared for his horses.
Eugene Leigh would live in France through the first two plus years of 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...
returning occasionally to the United States to purchase bloodstock.
He and his family relocated to the United States in early 1917 where he took over as manager of the thirty-two-horse stable of Edward B. McLean
Edward Beale McLean
Edward Beale "Ned" McLean was the publisher and owner of the Washington Post newspaper from 1916 until 1933.Edward McLean was born into a publishing fortune founded by his paternal grandfather Washington McLean, who owned the Washington Post and the Cincinnati Enquirer...
, owner of the Washington Post newspaper. Not long after the end of the War, Eugene Leigh returned to France where he became manager and trainer for the racing stable owned by Pierre Wertheimer
Pierre Wertheimer
Pierre Wertheimer was a French businessman.In October 1910, Pierre Wertheimer married Germaine Revel, a daughter of a stockbroker and a member of the Lazard family of investment bankers....
. For Wertheimer, Leigh's most famous horse was Épinard
Épinard
Épinard was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who was given the French name for spinach. He is considered a racing legend by French racing authority France Galop....
, called by France Galop
France Galop
France Galop is the governing body of flat and steeplechase horse racing in France. It was founded on May 3, 1995 as the result of the amalgamation of four different industry organizations...
the fastest horse to be bred in France.
Champions either owned, bred or trained by Eugene Leigh
- Ben Brush - the 1895 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt. In 1894 Leigh and a partner, the African-American Hall of FameNational Museum of Racing and Hall of FameThe 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, Ed BrownEdward D. BrownEdward Dudley Brown was an African American born as a slave who rose to become a Belmont Stakes-winning jockey, a Kentucky Derby-winning horse trainer, and an owner of several of the top racehorses during the last decade of the 19th century, earning him induction into the United States Racing Hall...
, bought Ben Brush and raced him until part way through his 2-year-old campaign when they sold him to a major New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
stable owner, Mike DwyerMichael F. DwyerMichael F. Dwyer was an American businessman from Brooklyn, New York and prominent owner of Thoroughbred racehorses and racetracks...
. - Clifford - owned in partnership with bookmakerBookmakerA bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
Robert L. Rose, Clifford was the retrospective American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse of 1893 and the retrospective American Champion Older Male Horse of 1894. - ChantChant (horse)Chant was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1894 Kentucky Derby, Phoenix Stakes, and Clark Handicap. He was related through his damsire, King Alfonso, to Kentucky Derby winners Fonso and Joe Cotton and through his sire, Falsetto, to His Eminence and Sir Huon .Chant was sold in...
- also owned in partnership with Robert L. Rose, Chant won the 1894 Kentucky DerbyKentucky DerbyThe Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry... - ÉpinardÉpinardÉpinard was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who was given the French name for spinach. He is considered a racing legend by French racing authority France Galop....
- the French Champion 2-Year-Old Colt of 1922 was owned by Pierre Wertheimer and trained by Eugene Leigh. They brought Épinard to the United States in 1924 to compete in the International SpecialInternational SpecialThe International Specials of 1924 were a series of three Thoroughbred horse races held in September and October at three different race tracks in the United States...
s. He would be voted the retrospective American Champion Older Male Horse for 1924. - IldrimIldrim (horse)Ildrim was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1900 Belmont Stakes at Morris Park Racecourse in The Bronx, New York under future U.S...
- owned and trained by Leigh, he won the 1900 Belmont StakesBelmont StakesThe Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds... - Irish LadIrish LadIrish Lad was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse and a world record holder.Bred by H. Eugene Leigh, in the fall of 1901 he sold the yearling to John Madden for $2,550. Madden conditioned him for racing and brought him to the track in the spring of 1902 where he showed enough potential...
- the 1902 retrospective American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt was bred by Eugene Leigh who sold him as a yearling to John E. MaddenJohn E. MaddenJohn Edward Madden was a prominent AmericanThoroughbred and Standardbred owner, breeder and trainer in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He owned Hamburg Place Stud in Lexington, Kentucky and bred five Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winners.He was inducted into the National...
Eugene Leigh died at Maisons-Laffitte
Maisons-Laffitte
Maisons-Laffitte is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Paris from the center....
on December 10, 1937 at age seventy-seven. He was survived by his wife and four daughters including Vera
Vera Leigh
Vera Leigh was a British spy during World War II who assisted the French Resistance. In 1944 she was captured by the Germans and executed.-Early life:...
who, because of her ability to speak the French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
flawlessly, joined the British SOE
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
spy agency during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Vera Leigh was captured in France and taken to Natzweiler-Struthof
Natzweiler-Struthof
Natzweiler-Struthof was a German concentration camp located in the Vosges Mountains close to the Alsatian village of Natzwiller in France, and the town of Schirmeck, about 50 km south west from the city of Strasbourg....
extermination camp where she was executed in 1944.