Vieux Manoir was a French

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...

 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

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...

 and Champion sire. Bred by Baron Edouard A. de Rothschild

Edouard Alphonse de Rothschild

Édouard Alphonse James de Rothschild was a French financier and a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of France....

 and raced by his son Guy

Guy de Rothschild

Baron Guy Édouard Alphonse Paul de Rothschild was a French banker and member of the Rothschild family. He chaired the bank Rothschild Frères from 1967 to 1979, when it was nationalized by the French government, and maintained possessions in other French and foreign companies including Imerys...

 following his death in 1949. Members of the prominent Rothschild banking family of France

Rothschild banking family of France

The Rothschild banking family of France was founded in 1812 in Paris by James Mayer Rothschild . James was sent there from his home in Frankfurt, Germany by his father, Mayer Amschel Rothschild...

, they owned Haras de Meautry

Haras de Meautry

Haras de Meautry in Touques, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France, is a thoroughbred horse breeding farm. It was acquired in the 19th century by horse-racing enthusiast Alphonse James de Rothschild who passed it down to his offspring so that today it is in the hands of Edouard Etienne de...

 breeding farm in Touques, Calvados where Vieux Manoir was foaled.

Vieux Manoir was trained by Frenchman, Geoffroy Watson, a member of the renowned English Racing Colony in Chantilly. The colt most notably won the 1950 French Classic

French Classic Races

In France, the Classics of horse racing are a series of Group One Thoroughbred horse races run annually on the flat. The four races are organized by France Galop.The Prix de Diane is restricted to filles....

, the 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:...

, and was second in the British Classic, the St. Leger Stakes

St. Leger Stakes

The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...

.

Retired to stud

Stud (animal)

A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is entire—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring...

, Vieux Manoir was the leading sire in France

Leading sire in France

The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in France for each year since 1887. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the season .-----References:* -See also:*...

 in 1958. His best known progeny was Val de Loir

Val de Loir

Val de Loir was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who won important races in France including the French Derby and was a Champion sire.Val de Loir stood at Haras de Sassy in Saint-Christophe-le-Jajolet in Lower Normandy...

, whose wins included the Classic Prix du Jockey Club

Prix du Jockey Club

The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...

 in 1963 and who became a three-time leading sire in France as well as a Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland

Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland

The list below shows the leading sire of broodmares in Great Britain and Ireland for each year since 1899. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won during the year by racehorses which were foaled by a daughter of the sire.-----References:*...

. Anorther son, Le Haar, was the leading sire in France in 1963. Through Vieux Manoir's daughter, Agujita, he is the damsire of the international superstar filly

Filly

A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....

 and 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, All Along

All Along

All Along was a champion Thoroughbred racemare that was foaled in France. She was one of the top fillies of the last part of the 20th century, racing mostly in Europe.-Background:...

. And, through another daughter, Astuce, he is the damsire of the 1976 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...

 winner, Ivanjica

Ivanjica (horse)

Ivanjica was a French Thoroughbred racehorse foaled at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. A descendant of Nearco, she was sired by Epsom Derby winner Sir Ivor and out of the mare Astuce by the important French sire, Vieux Manoir who in turn was a son of the great French runner Brantôme...

.

Vieux Manoir lived a long life, dying at age thirty-four in 1981.